Dark Sonic Destruction
by XalaxTV
Summary: The fate of the entire world is at stake...Sonic has transformed into Dark Super Sonic! What's more, Amy Rose cannot remember who she is, and the president wishes to join forces with Doctor Eggman! Can Tails uncover Eggman's master plan in time? Can Knuckles find Shadow - and the seven chaos emeralds - in time to confront the force that once protected this world? A gripping story.
1. Chapter 1 - Transformation

The extravagant, fluorescent sun beamed down upon the luscious greenery below. Not a single cloud was in sight, thus revealing a beautiful azure sky. Suddenly, a red plane flew across the sky at a blistering speed - it was the Tornado! Tails was piloting the plane from its cockpit, whilst on the left wing stood the iconic blue blur himself: Sonic the Hedgehog!

His elegant head was held high as he observed the beautiful scenery encapsulating his senses. His trademark smirk was plastered on his face.  
"What a lovely day!" he remarked to Tails behind him.  
"It sure is, Sonic." Tails replied gleefully.  
Amid the tranquil atmosphere, Sonic expectedly lay down on the wing, with his feet crossed and one arm behind his head.  
"Be sure to wake me if ya find a chaos emerald, pal!"  
Tails sighed, albeit quite contently. He knew that it's important to track down the seven chaos emeralds quickly, but Sonic is his best friend. Sonic had always been an inspirational idol for Tails, acting as a brotherly figure for many years. Additionally, Sonic had saved his life on countless occasions. Tails felt utterly privileged to be of use to Sonic; he now wanted to have recognition for finding the second chaos emerald, so he happily let his best buddy rest on the plane wing…

In order to find any chaos emeralds on the ground below, it needs to react. All the chaos emeralds react within close proximity to each other. Fortunately, Sonic and Tails have possession of the green chaos emerald, so it is cleverly intertwined with on-board radar to assist the Tornado in its endeavor. Despite the pleasant sunny day, Tails was adamant that there was definitely something terrible about to occur. The evil scientist, Doctor Eggman, had been surprisingly quiet these past few weeks. And whilst it had been refreshing to have a break from the plethora of adventures and heroics, Tails couldn't help but worry about what the near future bestowed.

BEEP! BEEP! The Tornado's navigation panel was flashing orange and beeping. This alarm was due to an increase in activity from the green chaos emerald.  
"Wow!" Tails exclaimed.  
The chaos emerald was finally reacting, emanating a luminous green light. The excess positive energy made Tails feel warm inside.  
"Sonic," Tails shouted, "Wake up! We need to land right here!"  
As quick as a flash, Sonic sprung to life, and gripped both hands on the front of the wing.  
"Ready." he called.  
And with that, the two heroes swooped down below, to uncover the second chaos emerald…

As they approached the ground, they saw a rather ordinary meadow. The land was mostly flat, with a small forest encompassing the area; there was no sign at all of another glow on the ground. This meant that the second chaos emerald was underground somewhere. Immediately before the Tornado could land, however, there was a loud *CRUNCH*. The right wing of the Tornado was missing!  
"Did you see that?" Sonic asked, "It looks like one of Eggman's robots just destroyed the wing."

Suddenly, the Tornado began to swerve uncontrollably. Tails then tried his best to maintain stability regarding its flight. Tails ordered Sonic to abandon ship and retrieve the emerald below – before the attacker. Sonic hesitated for a second, but he trusted Tails' intelligence and judgment so he jumped off and landed on the ground below. As the young fox began to comprehend how rapidly the current events transpired, the Tornado abruptly lost its altitude, sending the poor fox plummeting into some woodland below…

"Tails," Sonic called "Are you okay?"

Before he rushed to the location of the impact, he remembered his orders: somewhere nearby was the second chaos emerald. Also, more disturbingly, there was a titan-looking figure lurking amidst the vicinity. He plodded around, trying to hear a faint humming sound. Time progressed rather slowly for once in Sonic's perspective; where was his best friend? Is he hurt? He felt a sense of guilt, should he have stayed on board? He didn't have much time to ponder over his actions though, as he heard something beneath him!

Suddenly, Sonic curled into a ball and performed his trademark spindash! All that could be seen from afar was a hazy blue mist and a vast array of muddy particulates being thrust into the air. Sonic stopped. He had dug himself into a shallow ditch. However, he was confronted with the orange chaos emerald!

"You'd better be worth all this hassle." Sonic joked as he grasped it, "At least Doctor Eggman-"  
"Eggman what?" bellowed a disturbingly familiar voice from above.

Sonic glanced up, to reveal the Eggmobile protruding off the ground. Naturally, the sinister Doctor Eggman was piloting the egg-shaped vehicle. Sonic firmly clutched the chaos emerald. He would never let the Doctor get his filthy hands on such a glorious gem. He quickly leaped out of the ditch and pointed at Eggman.  
"I will never let you have the chaos emerald! Now go and find something more constructive to do!"  
This remark enraged the Doctor.  
"How dare you criticise the motive of the greatest mind in the universe? Besides, why don't you quit playing hero and run along to the forest, where you belong?"

This retort angered Sonic. Being a hero wasn't a choice for him, but the fate of the world frequently lay in his hands. He would quite happily continue running and playing with his friends, but all the Eggman seems to do is ruin their fun, and even peace itself. Moments later, the titan that smashed into the Tornado returned from the sky. It towered over 30 feet tall and its gigantic grey physique blatantly struck some fear into Sonic.  
"Who are you?" He inquired.  
Eggman chuckled, "HE-HE-HE! Sonic, I want you to meet my latest and greatest creation, the E-1000! He follows the design of a human, but with an impressive array of destructive weaponry at his disposal. If his menacing wrist missiles won't defeat you, then perhaps his laser eyes and retractable sword will! Face it, my furry friend, you have lost before the fight has even commenced!"

* * *

Meanwhile, as Sonic and Tails were in a sticky situation, Amy Rose, accompanied by Cream & Cheese, were happily strolling down the high street in Station Square. They all wanted to browse the shops and to have a good time. However, Cream had had to endure Amy's boisterous commentaries about her crush: Sonic.

"I wonder if we can buy Sonic some food as well." She thought.  
"Doesn't mister Sonic enjoy eating chili dogs?" Cream asked politely. She always had good manners; her mother Vanilla perpetually reminded her how important it is to be courteous at all times.  
"Yes I know that!" Amy snapped, "But they will go cold by the time we see him again." Cream was taken aback by her stark response. One day, she thought, Amy was going to lose her mind and go absolutely crazy!

Near the end of the street, the trio encountered a nice little restaurant.  
"Chao, chao!" Cheese exclaimed. Cream saw what the commotion was about whilst Amy frantically scanned the area for things she thought Sonic would like. Cream read a display outside the restaurant:

'_Special dinner for two_

_This Friday_

_70% off _

_Treat your partner today'_

"Amy," Cream called, "what about this?"  
Amy walked towards them. She was skeptical.  
"How could I find something here that Sonic would l-" She read the display. She then twitched with excitement!  
"Me and Sonic are going to have the best date ever!" She claimed triumphantly. Immediately after, she ripped one of the messages off the display and held it in the air, as though it were a golden trophy.  
"Where's Sonic? I've got to show him!"  
Cream informed her that he and Tails set off this morning in the tornado, and that they were headed west.  
"Thanks Cream. I wonder why my Sonic didn't tell _me_ that; I'm sure he was really busy or something. Anyway, I'm sorry our girly time has to be cut short but this is extremely important."

And with that, Amy rushed off in search of her 'boyfriend'. Cream and Cheese collectively sighed. Amy's perpetual fantasizing was found to be nauseating by everyone close to her. Even Sonic was annoyed at how devoted she was to him. Yes, Sonic is incredible, and an amazing hero. But why is it only Amy who is obsessed with him? Cream dwelled over how different Amy would be if she never liked Sonic…

* * *

"Enough!" Eggman cried, "I am giving you one last chance to hand over the chaos emerald or we will have to take it with force." Sonic remained undeterred by this final threat.  
"Never!" He replied. And with that, he threw the emerald all the way across the meadow, and into the forest where the Tornado had crashed. Eggman shrieked at the sight.  
"Attack!"

Suddenly, the titan sprung into life, and held out both of his hands – pointed at the fastest thing alive. A subsequent kaleidoscope of missiles zoomed out of them. Despite their immense speed, Sonic was always going to be one step ahead. He ran in a circle, around the titan. The missiles were homing missiles, so they tried to follow him. However, Sonic was running near to the speed of sound; how could the missiles possibly keep up with the blue blur? Sonic then had an idea.  
"Eureka!" He proclaimed.  
He stood still for a second. The missiles swooped down from behind him. However, before they could hit him, Sonic ran in a straight line, towards the titan! He slid under the titan's legs as an array of missiles crashed into its mechanical chest! The explosion was cataclysmic.

The E-1000 fell back, making a huge THUMP as it crashed onto the ground. The Eggmobile was vaguely spotted by Sonic, flying in the midst of a huge cloud of dust.  
The doctor was coughing frantically. "Get up, you fool! I want that Hedgehog eliminated!"  
The titan's jetpack was then engaged, and it tried to squash Sonic with its titanium feet! Nevertheless, an insulting yawn was followed by Sonic effortlessly moving out the way of the impact.  
"When will you learn, Eggman?" Sonic asked, "You will never beat me!"  
Eggman boiled up with sheer anger. It wasn't fair, he thought. All he wanted to do was take over the world, and time and time again he was thwarted by none other than a talking blue hedgehog.  
"STOP BEING SO ARROGANT," He snapped angrily. "FACE THE TRUE POWER OF MY TITAN!"

A long sword came out from within the titan's arm. Despite its sheer size, it was very flexible. There was a good chance Sonic could be hit with this, and if he did, it would send him flying far away! Sonic reluctantly took three steps backwards.  
"Easy there," he said awkwardly, "I don't want any trouble."  
Eggman chuckled, "Now you will pay for your arrogance."

"Sonic!"

A high-pitched scream was heard nearby. Eggman and Sonic both looked around; who was that? Then, the Titan decided to take Sonic by surprise. He was about to strike Sonic down with his sword! Next, Sonic located the source of the scream.  
"Amy?" He questioned.  
Was he seeing things? What was Amy Rose doing here, in the middle of nowhere? Sonic then saw the pink cloud more clearly. It _was_ Amy! Furthermore, she was waving something in her right hand as she was running towards Sonic.  
"I found you!" She exclaimed in excitement.

Moments later, as she climbed the fence to the meadow and approached the speed demon, she flung herself on Sonic and gave him a firm hug. Sonic looked perplexed and overwhelmed at this, not to mention being crushed by her iron grip.  
"Amy, let go." Sonic pleaded. When he could finally breathe again, he asked what she was holding.  
"Now," Eggman whispered from his Eggmobile "attack stealthily."

Suddenly, the sword from the titan was ferociously swung towards Sonic! However, Sonic saw what was about to occur and, naturally, his quick reflexes allowed him to leap away from its path. However, Amy was only half-awake; she was idly dreaming about finally hearing the words 'I love you' from Sonic on Friday night. As she slowly tilted her head towards the robot, it was too late. SMASH! Amy was hit by the titan!

"Amy!" Sonic shouted as she was sent flying to the other side of the meadow, crashing headfirst into a big brown fence…

…She didn't get up.

"Amy?" Sonic couldn't comprehend the horror he just witnessed before him. Amy was innocent; yes she was a nuisance sometimes, but something about her always instilled hope and happiness in Sonic. He may not love her as much as she does him, but something about her getting hurt caused something to click in Sonic's mind. His attention turned to the robot. It was the one who was responsible for attacking Amy. It _must_ be brought to justice.

"You hurt Amy!" Sonic shouted. Eggman seemed alarmed at the tone of Sonic's voice. He watched intently from his Eggmobile.  
"How dare you lay a hand on her?" Sonic continued; his voice was progressively more volatile, "She's done nothing to you!"

Suddenly, something unexpected occurred. Sonic was brought to his knees. He then began to shiver slightly. His fingers twitched uncontrollably. His eyes then opened…a navy blue aura was emanating from his body. More disturbingly, his fur was now black…he had transformed into dark Sonic!


	2. Chapter 2 - Irony

"Hmm," Eggman thought, intrigued by Sonic's sudden transformation, "Let's see how powerful you are with your negative energy."

He then whispered a command to his titan: destroy Dark Sonic. Sonic saw the E-1000 begin to advance towards him. He then showed an eerie grin across his face.

"Oh yeah?" he inquired, "Time for YOU to get hit!"

And with that, Sonic dashed towards the titan at a blistering pace (he was now three times as fast)! The titan stood no chance against Dark Sonic. All of the positive energy he still had from grasping the chaos emerald, earlier in the day, was now transformed into negative energy. This extra power, combined with Sonic's extreme feelings of anger after seeing his friend get attacked, equated to a robot's worst nightmare!

In a matter of mere seconds, the black mist was all that could be distinguished from such an illustrious spectacle. Dark Sonic smashed hole after hole into the robot as he kicked and rolled through its infrastructure. A final spin kick to the head was all it took to finish off the titan, thus leaving him – and the electric flashes from his circuits - crashing to the ground below. After the dust had settled, Sonic abnormally returned to the crouching position, not dissimilar to the one he done prior to the fight. His eyes were focused on Eggman. Sonic was breathing heavily. His feelings were more extreme, and ultimately more and more uncontrollable.

"You're next." He teased...

"Sonic?" Tails exited the forest. He had attained multiple cuts and bruises, including a huge gash on his back. Nonetheless he was still standing, and ready to continue. In his left hand was the green chaos emerald. He managed to retrieve it from the crash. Tails walked out into the meadow. He noticed the sky was dimming now, for it was twilight.

"How long was I out for?" He wondered aloud.

To his left, he saw Eggman, accompanied by the corpse of the titan responsible for crashing the Tornado. Immediately before he rushed to the scene, he curiously looked to his right. To his amazement he saw, adjacent to the tall brown fence encompassing the meadow; lay the pink body of Amy Rose!

Tails rubbed his eyes. Then he pinched himself. Yet, Amy was still lying there, featureless, battered, broken. She was clearly unconscious, but was it worse than that? The thought of seeing a dear friend die like that was too much to bear for young Tails. Tearful and woebegone, he marched sternly towards the Eggman – searching for an explanation…

However, as Tails got closer, he encountered a dark figure confronting the Eggman. He looked reminiscent of a hedgehog, but Tails' blurry vision clouded his judgment. Then, he saw the green chaos emerald light up again. Did Eggman have the second chaos emerald? Tails eagerly looked around…THERE! On the border of the forest he just exited lay the second chaos emerald! Tails immediately flew towards it and retrieved it. He now felt slightly better, as though he had accomplished something good. But then the graphic image of Amy returned in his mind, and he became bent on serving vengeance to whomever inflicted that damage to her…

It turned out that Eggman was now lying out of his teeth to save his own skin.

"I didn't mean to build the robot and track down the chaos emerald," Eggman pleaded "but it was those imbeciles at GUN who forced me to do as they bid, or else I would be locked up on prison island for ever!"

Sonic was still not convinced. His fingers ceased twitching and clenched.

Eggman then thought of the prior occasion in which he encountered Dark Sonic, and then said peacefully to him: "But it's not _my_ fault what the robot done. Because it was YOU, Sonic, that was responsible for killing sweet, innocent, young Amy Rose."

"AAAAAAARGH!"

Sonic was then tortured by envisioning Amy getting struck in the head. He could have stood still and protected her. He would have survived. He was selfish. He was…evil. Consequently, another mysterious phenomenon occurred…

This time, his eyes were all ice white as his pupils and irises vanished, and his fur turned black, with a deep mauve glow emanating from his body. The transformation was complete. This was no longer Sonic the Hedgehog. Instead, a figure of his former self is now puppet to the abundance of negative energy overwhelming him. This being is comprised solely of anger, rage, and power. Sonic the Hedgehog is now…

…Dark Super Sonic!

Eggman knew that there was no turning back for Sonic now. Sonic's dark transformation was now complete. Now, he acted on instinct, and had an aching to cause destruction. This monster has the power and the tenacity to bring the entire world to its knees. As Dark Super Sonic gained consciousness, and became accustomed to his surroundings, Eggman left a final message:

"Now my plans for world domination are finally a reality! Isn't it ironic that the 'hero' of this world will ultimately prove to be its own demise? After you have destroyed civilization here, I can build a new Empire on the ruins you create. Farewell, Sonic the Hedgehog! OOO-HOO-HOO!"

And with that, Eggman ascended to a high altitude in the Eggmobile, en route to the Egg carrier.

Tails was a witness to everything that occurred. He had seen Sonic transform, he felt his evil presence, he heard Eggman's fiendish scheme. He was utterly flabbergasted by everything. The thought of that bright, sunny day was all a distant memory. Now, his dear friend had died, his best friend has turned evil, and the fate of the entire world was in jeopardy.

"Why can't things stay good?" Tails asked rhetorically.

However, Dark Super Sonic was approaching Tails! His fists were clenched.

"Sonic," Tails panicked "what are you doing? It's me, Tails! Your best friend…"

His words were no use. Sonic didn't even acknowledge that he was about to mercilessly attack his best friend. "Fine," Tails conceded, "you asked for it!"

Tails clenched his fists, and he felt determined to stop him from advancing anywhere further. Civilians could get hurt after all.

Despite the courageous effort from Tails, he was ultimately no match for Dark Super Sonic. He was viciously battered to a bloody pulp! After mere seconds Tails could barely stand. He was coughing blood and tears clouded his sight. Also, his gloves were torn. Tails felt useless. He slowly stretched his left fist towards the attacker.

"S-sonic," Tails murmured "I-I won't let you…hurt anyone…"

"Leave that fox alone!"

Both characters glanced to the right of the meadow. Despite it being pitch black now, the fluorescent pink appearance was unmistakable. Miraculously, it was Amy Rose! As she walked ever closer to the fight, her wounds were made more visible, like a car slowing down in front of you. Despite her wounds, she could still walk fine. Tails then presumed this was due to her head unfortunately being the sole aspect of her that was damaged.

Dark Super Sonic was not going to hesitate for much longer. He strolled directly towards Amy – his former lover. "Back off you creep!"

Amy grabbed her Piko Piko hammer and prepared for battle with this dark stranger.

"Amy, don't try!" Tails screamed with all the energy he could muster.

Tails was now lying on the grass in excruciating pain. Amy seemed perplexed at what she just heard.

"Who's Amy?" She replied.

Tails then gasped as he immediately understood what had occurred, why she referred to him as 'that fox' earlier. Amy Rose has…amnesia!

Tails felt the warm, welcoming power from the two chaos emeralds coming from within his two tails. This gave him the ability to stand up again. However, he was powerless to prevent Amy from fighting Sonic. She thrust her hammer at him with full force, but before it could touch him the hammer appeared to have wilted like a dead flower! It turned grey, which stimulated Amy to cast it away in disgust. Without a weapon, she was defenseless. Sonic grabbed onto her neck. As she was choking in his clutches he threw her onto Tails!

"Ouch!" Tails remarked as her weight crushed him.

"Sorry about that. So who's Amy?"

Tails hesitated, but eventually said "you! Amy, you have amnesia because you took a knock down there by the fence."

Amy gasped in horror as she stared at the grim place she awoke prior to confronting the dark attacker. She now felt lost and solitary; all of her life was now forgotten. She felt melancholy and empty inside. Subsequently, Tails revealed that she used to have a fanatical crush on Sonic, who was actually the dark attacker! Amy shrieked in horror. Then she questioned the validity of such a bogus statement.

"And why should I believe you?" She asked.

"Because, Amy, I am Tails, your friend!"

Suddenly, a face of determination emerged on his face as he grabbed both of Amy's hands and flew up into the air.

"I hate you!" Amy shouted looking down at the dark figure. Tails was taken aback by the irony he just witnessed. After years of consistent annoyance from Amy going on a tangent about how 'brave' and 'hot' Sonic is, now she has no memory at all of her fanatical obsession, and the current events have transpired to make Amy HATE Sonic.

"You must know that that isn't the _true_ Sonic the Hedgehog." Tails reminded her, "He has been possessed, due to the hands of the evil Doctor Eggman."

They were now flying away from the meadow and into the city, where Tails and Amy's friends lived.

"Doctor Eggman," Amy asked "Who's he?"

Tails sighed. "I'll fill you in on everything when we get home. But first we need to get there. Then I'm sure Cream the rabbit will help nurse you whilst we try and reverse your amnesia somehow."

Amy felt relaxed now. She trusted Tails.

"Thanks, Tails." Amy said.

Tails blushed slightly. His optimism then shone once more. His best friend may have transformed into something insane, but now he can shine without being in Sonic's shadow. Despite his cuts and wounds, he felt good – for he had retrieved the second chaos emerald, discovered Eggman's evil plan, and saved Amy! A cool breeze accompanied the beauty of many bright stars dotted amongst the clear night sky. The moonlight paved the way for where Station Square lay. The first encounter with Dark Super Sonic was over. But the adventure, and the battle to save the world, had only just begun…


	3. Chapter 3 - Adventure

It was 3am in the morning. Tails was flying purely on adrenaline. Amy had fallen asleep, so Tails had to wrap his arms around her to prevent her from dropping. They were now near the outskirts of the city: Station Square. Tails and the others all lived in a small town near the outskirts.  
"Amy, wake up," Tails said "we're here."  
Tails drastically decreased altitude and landed on the doorstep of Cream's house. However, he was so exhausted and emotionally drained that he fell asleep! Amy awoke sleepily. With a great yawn she knocked on the front door. "Poor Tails," she said "he went through a lot to get us here."  
She then gave him a little kiss on his cheek.

"Who could that be at this time in the morning?" Came a distinctly high-pitched voice from inside the house.  
Cream opened the front door, and then gasped in awe at the sight before her.  
"Amy," she shrieked, "what happened?"  
Both characters' wounds were still clearly seen, like a moth near a light.  
"Are you called Cream?" Amy inquired as she and the young rabbit carried Tails into the lounge.  
"What do you mean, am I Cream? We have been friends for a long time – we were even out shopping yesterday!"  
Cream was extremely agitated due to Amy Rose. First she ditches her on the high street, and now she is trying to insult her? A tear then slowly slid down Amy's face. She revealed to Cream that she has amnesia.  
"I'm sorry for alarming you," Amy confessed "I didn't mean to be so rude when I asked your name."  
To her surprise, Cream smiled and gave her a hug.  
"At least you're here and you're safe." She replied.  
Soon after, she made Amy some hot chocolate; then, as she was settling in, Cream woke her mother, Vanilla. Amy told her about her amnesia, and how she can't remember anything since she bumped her head.  
"Now, now dear," Vanilla said "I'm sure Cream and Tails will help you to remember who you are."  
Amy shrugged. She may not remember these, but she still felt content and welcome here.

Amy's attention suddenly turned to Tails, who was being nursed by Vanilla.  
"Will he be okay?" She asked worryingly.  
"Of course dear," Vanilla comforted "he has a bad cut on his back, but he'll be okay. He must be tired after all that flying."  
Vanilla then sighed, "What a brave young fox."  
Amy nodded in concurrence. She contemplated recounting her story to Cream and Vanilla, but ultimately opted to allow Tails, the true hero, to tell of their encounter with the dark hedgehog to everyone.

A few hours later the sun was beaming elegantly upon the village. It was another bright, beautiful day – yet there was a peculiar chill in the midst. There was a solemn atmosphere in Cream's house that morning. Not only were there a multitude of injuries incurred by Amy and Tails, but the threat of a global catastrophe was ever present! Tails gingerly awoke, and stretched his arms high in the air. He then yawned rather loudly. As his eyes focused, it became apparent to him that he was lying on the sofa at Cream's house. The memories of last night flooded back into his mind.  
"Amy," he said slowly "are you there?"  
He adjusted his head slightly, so that he could see the two armchairs, coffee table, and fireplace. To his relief, Amy was sitting there, accompanied by Cream and her mother, all of whom were giggling uncontrollably.  
"What are you laughing at?" Tails remarked awkwardly as he clambered to his feet.  
They were giggling at the manner in which Amy was the first thing on his mind…

"Oh, don't worry," Amy replied "we have a busy day today!"  
She then skipped into the kitchen.  
"Come on Vanilla," she beamed "aren't we making some delicious pancakes for breakfast?"  
Vanilla shrugged and gave a small smile, then plodded into the kitchen to prepare breakfast for the four inhabitants.

"Tails, what happened?" Cream questioned.  
She then edged towards the edge of her seat. Her eyes were focused solely on Tails. They were beginning to water. Cream felt guilty for what had happened to Amy. After she ran off on the high street she wondered what Amy would be like if she didn't like Sonic. But this is far from what she expected. She wanted to know EXACTLY what happened to cause this, as her 6 year old mind couldn't comprehend the irony of her actions.

Both Cream and Tails were alone. The oak door obstructed the connection between the lounge and kitchen - they had privacy. Tails took a deep breath, which hurt his ribs somewhat, and recounted his adventure to an intrigued Cream.

"Well, me and Sonic were flying in the Tornado searching for the second chaos emerald. But we were ambushed by one of Eggman's new titan robots! Sonic jumped down below to find a chaos emerald that reacted with the one on board the Tornado, but I stayed on board. I thought I could control the plane with only one wing…"  
Cream gasped in horror. "That's very dangerous!" She exclaimed.  
Tails then shrugged awkwardly and continued: "I ejected the green chaos emerald from the Tornado's control panel, but as I went to remove my seatbelt it was jammed. I took my other hand off the joystick for a second and the plane flew out of control! Luckily, I managed to jump out before it crash landed on the forest floor. The chaos emerald was in my hand and I was flying in the sky. I thought the worst was over…I was flying backwards – admiring the beauty of the chaos emerald - until I crashed into a tall tree. That is how my back got a big cut!"  
Cream winced at the last sentence. Despite her young age, she was coping astoundingly well, and, after a deep breath, signaled for Tails to proceed.  
"Well, I remember falling," Tails continued "and hitting loads more trees on my descent. Then the ground whooshed towards my face, and then I can remember nothing but darkness. I must have been unconscious. When I awoke it was nearly night time. I was scared and I wondered what had happened to Sonic. There was no doubt he was okay, he's Sonic the Hedgehog! But did he forget about me? After what felt like a thousand years I exited the forest and found the meadow where I was ambushed earlier. I then saw Amy, unconscious, by a fence at the end of the meadow! I thought that…that…she was…d-d-dead!"  
A tear trickled down his face. The graphic image from before had re-entered his mind. Alas, he revealed Dark Super Sonic to Cream, who was shocked by this news.

"We have got to warn the president!" She said sternly.  
Tails nodded with approval. So it was settled. The president was to be warned of the threat Sonic now bestows upon the world. Immediately after a delectable breakfast of scrumptious sweet pancakes, Tails bid farewell to Cream, Vanilla and Amy Rose. Amy hugged Tails on the doorstep.  
"Thanks for all you've done. I hope we see each other again."  
Tails glanced away awkwardly. "Sure, we're all friends after all."  
His attention turned to Cream's mother.  
"Thanks for looking after me," Tails remarked, as Vanilla smiled with pride.  
"Cream, make sure you tell my story to Amy, and help her to rediscover herself again."  
And with that, Tails ventured off on the second part of this vast adventure unfolding before him. He strolled down the middle of the road with his head held high, and a great sense of accomplishment and responsibility.

Tails, being an intelligent being, contemplated his next step. He knew he wouldn't be allowed access to GUN's headquarters. Therefore, he had to seek a helping hand from an old friend. Subsequently, he ventured further into the countryside, towards a floating marvel called _Angel Island_!

Angel Island was a truly spectacular phenomenon. It was a colossal island in the sky, littered with luscious trees, vast grassy plains, marvelous mountains, and, most intriguingly, a plethora of ancient ruins, remnants of the lost kingdom of the Echidna. Only one remained: Knuckles the Echidna. Knuckles and Tails were good friends and they and Sonic had collaborated on numerous occasions in the past to thwart Doctor Eggman's schemes. It was now, amidst Earth's darkest hour, that Tails sought Knuckles for his help.

Knuckles' location was easily traced. It was his moral obligation to guard the master emerald at all costs. The master emerald itself is not dissimilar to the green chaos emerald; the master emerald, however, is incredibly big and contains obscure quantities of energy locked inside of it. Furthermore, it is a mysterious device that is powered by ancient spiritual chants; only Knuckles can harness the true power of the master emerald. This was his purpose in life.

Tails sprinted up the ancient stone steps where Knuckles and the master emerald were situated. Knuckles was idly day dreaming, until he heard a surprising speech.  
"Knuckles," Tails asked, "are you awake?"  
Knuckles jerked up and stood bolt upright.  
"I am now!" He retorted.  
Tails broke eye contact with Knuckles. "Sorry."  
He looked down at his feet. As Knuckles calmed down, he approached Tails.  
"So, buddy, what brings you to Angel Island on this fine day?"  
"Sonic has turned evil…"  
Knuckles jumped back in awe. He thought his ears had deceived him.  
"Are you absolutely sure?" He inquired.  
"Positive. I'll fill you in on what's happened…"

Tails enlightened Knuckles on the repulsive moment in which Sonic transformed himself, partly due to Doctor Eggman, into Dark Super Sonic. He then mentioned Amy's amnesia, and the threat Sonic is to the world.  
"We need to act fast!" Tails concluded in a rather brash manner.  
Knuckles seemed perplexed.  
"We?" Knuckles asked, "What, so you think its okay to just stroll down to ol' Knuckles and order him to risk his life for a bunch of idiots?"  
Tails was taken aback by this. Knuckles had always came to his aid before. Tails had to use a different tact.  
"Don't you realize that Sonic will destroy Station Square? Thousands of people could get hurt! Don't you care?"  
Knuckles shrugged with his red arms folded.  
"Those humans are pitiful. They tried to take the master emerald from me. They are far too reckless for their own good!"  
Tails then countered: "Can't you see? There won't _be_ a master emerald if Dark Super Sonic isn't stopped! Who's to say he will stop when Station Square lies in ruins? He is built on pure rage and anger, he won't stop!"  
Knuckles was startled at this sudden revelation.

"I'm sorry for being so selfish," he eventually confessed "I will help you to defeat that show-off."  
Knuckles then performed his trademark smug grin, and high-fived his yellow pal.  
"So, what plan do you have in mind?"  
Tails then paused. His hesitation bemused Knuckles.  
"Well," he replied, "I thought it is most important to alert the president, which means contacting GUN first. Say, do you know where Rouge the bat is?"  
Knuckles shook his head in disgust.  
"So you want the services of that gold-digging, thieving, promiscuous batty bat? Do me a favour and tell her to stop annoying me!"  
He boldly pointed to a cave in the nearest mountain to where they were both standing.  
"Is she in there?" Tails inquired.  
"What do you think?" Knuckles snapped, "She's a _bat_. It's daytime. Combine that with her freakish obsession with me and my master emerald and she just _has_ to be in that cave!"  
Tails was not convinced. "Are you paranoid?"  
Knuckles sighed heavily, "No. She was being an outright nuisance last night whilst I was trying to sleep. She craves attention, I tell ya. Absolutely crazy! I saw her fly into there this morning. It's worth a try."  
Tails nodded at once. He flew down the stone steps towards the mysterious cave in the mountain. Meanwhile, Knuckles lay down and rested his eyes once more, relishing the joys of the sunlight…

The reason why Tails needed Rouge was because she was an operative at GUN. What's more, despite her selfish nature, and her tendency to steal jewels to fulfil her own desires, she was still an invaluable asset to have. However, Tails hadn't seen Rouge in a long time, as she's primarily a nocturnal being. Would she still be the same? Would she help Tails tap into the GUN's mainframe? There was only one way to find out…

Tails stood at the entrance to the dark, eerie cave. There was a distinct chill emanating from within, sending a cool shiver down his spine. Tails grew scared. Sonic wasn't here with him now…he was all alone. A look of determination suddenly appeared as his fists clenched.  
"I am brave." He told himself.  
And with that, he crept into the menacing cave…

"Excuse me?" Tails asked loudly, "Rouge? Are you there?"  
There was no sign of anything thus far. He was looking for any sign of pink on the roof of the cave. This was due to the nature in which bats sleep – and that Rouge wore a lot of bright pink. A minute later, Tails encountered a dead end. The cave had ended. All that stood before him was the monotonous silhouette of a large rocky wall obstructing his path further. As a result, Tails felt disheartened. He sighed heavily.  
"Why am I doing this?" he questioned aloud.  
All of this cave exploration and traveling was so distant from the reality of Dark Super Sonic's prowess. All of a sudden, there was a loud crashing sound of rocks. Tails jumped out of fright. He turned round.  
"Who's there?" He demanded…

Whoosh! In a blink of an eye, a huge white boot was directly on Tails' face! But it stopped. The boot retreated, revealing its origin to Tails' now-restored vision (despite the darkness of the cave). The white boot belonged to Rouge! She looked groggy, as though she had just awoken.  
"Hi, Rouge." Tails waved awkwardly.  
Rouge sighed. "Oh," she said, "it's you. Ya got me nervous for a second."  
Rouge then signaled for Tails to follow her. They then walked side-by-side towards the mouth of the cave.  
"Ya know," Rouge said at last, "it's not a good idea to snoop around a dark cave alone."  
Tails nodded in agreement.  
"I know," he replied, "but I came to talk to you."  
Rouge then smiled intriguingly. Tails then explained about the threat of Dark Super Sonic, how he was fuelled with rage and anger, how he had incredible power, how he wouldn't stop until the world would lie in ruins. Rouge gasped in shock.

Rouge was incredibly smart. Part of what constitutes being a GUN operative is the ability to read between the lines. "I know why you've came for me," she claimed triumphantly, "the fate of the world is in MY hands! And that's because I am the most powerful contender in stopping Sonic!"  
Tails shook his head with disapproval.  
"Nope," Tails responded, "I know you're a GUN operative and we need to warn Mr. President about Sonic!"  
Rouge felt deflated.  
"Oh," she conceded "yeah of course. I can actually arrange for you to meet him if you want. I'm his favourite!"  
Rouge then laughed aloud, "Not that Topaz."

Eventually they arrived at the exit of the cave. Now they had to leave Angel Island and reach the President's house near the centre of Station Square. However, before Rouge and Tails could fly off, along came trouble…

"You!" Knuckles shouted aggressively as he thrust himself in the air towards Rouge.  
His fist was headed right towards the innocent bat! Fortunately, Rouge was very agile, so she managed to cartwheel out of the line of fire with ease, sending Knuckles crashing on the grass.  
"Ya gotta try harder next time." Rouge teased.  
"Why is Knuckles attacking you?" Tails interjected.  
Rouge then turned her attention to Tails. "I don't know." She said playfully.  
Tails inferred that Rouge was hiding something, maybe she betrayed Knuckles? Tails grew concerned. Suddenly, Knuckles was back on his feet, albeit quite grazed from hitting the ground so hard.  
"You've got a lot of nerves showing your ugly face around here after what you've done!" Knuckles was clearly livid; his fists were clenched and he also grit his teeth. However, Rouge merely rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips.  
"Calm down," she replied with a sense of satire "you need to relax, darling."  
This remark further enraged the red echidna.  
"Who are you calling 'darling'? You tried to steal the master emerald from me! I'll get you!"  
Knuckles then went to lunge at Rouge, but Tails intervened.  
"Stop fighting!" He yelled, "Rouge, you shouldn't have tried to take the master emerald – you know how important it is to Knuckles and this island. And Knuckles, calm down a little. We're all on the same side and if we don't work together then Dark Sonic will destroy the world!"

Both characters held their heads down. They felt ashamed…

"Sorry Rouge." Knuckles apologized.  
He then held out his hand. Rouge then shook it, thus proving their forgiveness. Both acknowledged they had done wrong. However, neither could help their actions, for Rouge will always be a jewelry thief and Knuckles still maintains a volatile temper. Nevertheless, precious time was wasted, which caused Tails to begin to panic.  
"Come on Rouge," he commanded "we need to contact the president!"  
Rouge nodded and signaled for Tails to follow her trail.  
"Hold on," Knuckles called in the distance "wait for me!"  
Tails smiled. He was glad his buddy wanted to help out, and Knuckles' strength will definitely be needed in good time. Despite Tails' positive reception to Knuckles joining them, Rouge wasn't convinced.  
"Do ya really want this hot head chasing behind us?"she asked.  
Knuckles finally caught up with them, and he was panting rather heavily from the sprinting – he was also well aware of Rouge's snide comment.  
"Who are you calling hothead?" Knuckles inquired aggressively.  
Rouge looked at Tails. "You see?"  
Tails refused to believe Rouge. He allowed Knuckles to see the president with them, and vowed to ignore their perpetual bickering in the future.

It was approaching sunset now. Angel Island could still be seen from the distance, its luminous glow emanating from the master emerald was a remarkable spectacle. The floating island's shadow was over a part of the glistening azure sea, shining magnificently due to the deep orange sun rays eluding the golden glow reflecting off the tranquil water. Rouge was flapping her wings and Tails' tails were propelling in the air, both of whom firmly grasping an arm of Knuckles the Echidna...

"I feel stupid like this." Knuckles claimed.  
He was certainly uncomfortable flying loosely in the air, observing an abundance of buildings composing an exotic urban landscape below.  
"You feel stupid like this," Rouge asked (mimicking his remark) "surely you must feel stupid ALL the time?"  
Her and Tails then giggled discreetly.  
"Whatever…" Knuckles growled.  
He considered it unfair that the others always teased him, exploiting his quick temper for the sake of comedy. He winced at this thought. Then, he thought about Sonic. How could he turn evil after all he's done? Why has he done this? Is there a way to bring him back or…?

Knuckles shuddered to think of what might have to be done, should all else fail. However, deep down, Knuckles knew that if Sonic cannot be contained, or cannot turn good again, then someone must have the burden of defeating Sonic…once and for all. It was a gruesome prospect, but one that Knuckles would not shy away from should it occur. All his questions about Sonic will be answered soon though, as Rouge and Tails were landing on the city streets…

They were steadily decreasing their altitude and were approaching a narrow, dark alleyway in the suburbs of Station Square. However, about five feet off the floor, Rouge let go of Knuckles!  
"Whoops." She said idly as Knuckles' weight was too much for poor Tails.  
His hand slipped away from Tails' and sent him hurtling downwards, climaxing with a large THUD on the ground into two empty dustbins. They were flattened. When Tails landed he helped Knuckles get up to his feet.  
"Thanks, Tails." He commended, dusting himself off.  
Subsequent to this, Rouge the bat confronted the two heroes.  
"My, my," she gasped sarcastically "you're down in the dumps lil fella."  
Knuckles thought about hitting her right that second, but refrained because he didn't want to give Rouge the satisfaction.  
"You're mean." Knuckles said at last.

Rouge lead Tails and Knuckles down a labyrinth of dark, dusty alleyways. There were only a few flickering lights down there, thus resulting in the menacing, petrifying nature of the abundance of shadows, adjacent to the towering walls of an array of gigantic buildings, comprising the densely-populated area of Station Square. Tails began to have doubts over Rouge: was she to be trusted after all?

Eventually, Rouge froze still.  
"Is something wrong?" Tails inquired.  
Knuckles scoffed, "she probably saw her reflection in a puddle."  
Rouge sighed. "We're here."  
She then bent down and removed the silver lid off the ground in front of her. This revealed a narrow tube of pitch-black, unknown territory. Tails saw the tunnel, and the fragile steps on the side. He grew scared and looked to Knuckles for hope. Knuckles saw the fear in his eyes, and gave a comforting smile.  
"Now listen up!" Rouge ordered hastily, "I am taking you right to the president's residence. I am breaking direct GUN orders NOT to let strangers trespass like this, especially through the old sewage system. I am putting my job at risk for you two."  
She then paused to take in the scornful expression Knuckles was making. He was then discreetly elbowed in the arm by a nervous Tails, who wanted to see the president as quick as possible. Rouge smiled at his actions.  
"Alright," she said at last "let's go. But I must warn you it can get a little…smelly…down here."

Subsequently, the three characters protruded cautiously to the treacherous realm of the abandoned sewage system for Station Square. This intricate network covered the city in its entirety and it's an invaluable asset for those who know of its existence. Rouge knows about this network due to her desire to retrieve any exquisite gems from museums, galleries and the like. Nonetheless, she still despised traveling through these tunnels, for they were not only dark, but still wreaked of the distinct aroma of sewage and waste. The three segments of the tunnel were: a walkway, accompanied by a grey railing, situated on either side of a large central area where the sewage water used to flow. The filthy brick walls occasionally had steps heading in a vertical direction towards the ground. Rouge began to run in the right direction. The others hastily followed in her tracks. Soon after, they encountered the exit to the tunnel. It was a large circular room, with eight different passages.  
"This way!" Rouge exclaimed, and surprisingly rushed towards the second tunnel on the left.

Eventually, Rouge led them to an exit. Knuckles was first, and used his super strength to force open the rusty steel lid of the tunnel. Immediately after, they scuttled out of the tunnel, only to find themselves in an enormous, exquisite room – they were in the president's residence! Tails glanced around, to see an array of priceless vases, filled with the subtle excellence of luscious green plants, on a shelf near the oak door in the corner. Behind them were four colossal windows peering out to a garden below, however the night and the torrential rain obstructed the Fox's view.  
"Wow," Tails beamed "this is a really nice place!"  
Knuckles nodded his head slowly in agreement. Then his focus turned to Rouge, who was idly staring into space. "You," Knuckles said "where are we?"  
Rouge rolled her eyes, "Are ya serious? Haven't you paid any attention? We have just exited the secret passage, and now we are in an office, right next to the president's private room."  
Knuckles retreated and shrugged his shoulders.  
"Yeah, I was…err…just making sure."  
Tails began to laugh in the background.

As they began to protrude through the oak door in the corner, and into the president's room, they heard a loud BANG behind them! The other oak door, leading to the main corridor of the complex, was flung wide open. Tails, Knuckles and Rouge jumped in fright, and turned around, to reveal a man in a black suit and a scarlet tie, wearing shiny sunglasses.  
"You!" He bellowed.  
Tails gulped in fear, and buried his head in Knuckles' shoulder. Knuckles, however, was transfixed on this intruder, whilst growling with fury. Who is this man? What does he want? Will Tails and friends warn the president of Dark Super Sonic before anything serious happens?


	4. Chapter 4 - Confusion

Meanwhile, Cream and Amy had had a much better day than Tails, Rouge and Knuckles. This is because they didn't have to delve into the treacherous terrain of the city's smelly sewers; instead, they relaxed in a grassy field just out of Cream's back garden. They skipped about under the warm presence of the glistening yellow sun, and picked flowers to make bracelets together. Amy was very happy with Cream, and both became good friends…again. Amy's amnesia was, unfortunately, not showing much signs of improvement.

The day had passed, and Amy and Cream had both slept for the night, Amy awoke early in the morning; she had a rough night. She got out of her bed and woke Cream. "What's the matter?" Cream asked, worried. Amy sat on the end of Cream's bed, with her legs crossed. "I am missing something," she said as she rolled her finger down the sheets near to her, "I am missing some_one_." Cream's eyebrows were raised. Amy DOES remember something, and she remembers Sonic of all things in the world! Cream didn't know how to take this; before Eggman's robot hit Amy she was practically obsessed with Sonic. Yes, Cream felt guilty that her 'wish' unfolded, but now it's time for a fresh start for Amy (and for everyone). However, to Cream's surprise, Amy still couldn't remember Sonic!

"I don't know who, but my heart is calling for someone." Cream was speechless, alluding to Amy's continuation. "Tails said that I used to_ love_ Sonic, before he turned into Dark Sonic, but I just can't remember what he's like." Cream got up and gave her a comforting hug. "It'll all be okay," Cream reassured, "Sonic will turn good again, and you two can live happily ever after."

Cream didn't want to reveal to Amy that Sonic wasn't too interested in her, and that Amy was a nauseating person to be around. Amy was fragile, and a bombshell like that would be detrimental to her rehabilitation.

"Let us out!" Tails panicked, violently rattling the grey bars constraining him, Knuckles and Rouge. The man in the black suit was on the other side of the cell. "We don't negotiate with terrorists." He claimed. Knuckles violently assaulted another side of the prison cell, but it was no use. They were locked inside the basement, which contained a prison cell for any intruders to be placed. "We're not terrorists," Tails yelled, "we need to talk to the president – it's urgent!" Rouge was casually admiring her nails in the corner, for she knew that this man wouldn't take any of them seriously (and he wouldn't remember her because she only does secret operations far from this place).

"That's what they all say," the man replied to Tails, "but I'm afraid three little animals snooping around the president's place will not go unaccounted for." Tails looked down at the floor and kicked the ground in despair. He had lost all hope; Dark Sonic would now ambush this unprepared city, causing millions of people to get hurt.

Suddenly, Knuckles saw red. "LISTEN HERE," he bellowed, "WE NEED TO TELL THE PRESIDENT THAT SONIC THE HEDGHOG HAS TURNED EVIL AND WILL TEAR THIS WORLD APART UNLESS WE DON'T ACT NOW!" There was a sudden silence. It felt as though time had stopped. The direct approach from Knuckles had clearly worked, as the man cautiously unlocked the cell door. He scratched the back of his head awkwardly, for he knew that his knee-jerk reaction was the wrong decision. He now knew that he should have contacted the president directly instead of following his own initiative.

"I'm sorry," he confessed "but you must understand that it is only security procedure." Tails, Rouge, and Knuckles walked to the staircase that would lead them out of the basement. As they passed they ignored the security guard…except for Knuckles. "Do we even look like terrorists to you?" He quizzed. He then gave the man an evil stare as he waltzed out with the others. "Come on!" Tails yelled, "We've wasted enough time as it is!" Rouge then chuckled slightly, "It wasn't us though, it was that guard." Tails nodded in agreement as they rushed upstairs to the President's office, for it was daytime now.

The three heroes encountered two huge square doors; behind them was the President's office, where he and his cabinet discussed important issues. Tails and the others could hear a faint murmur from within, so they knocked on the door for them to answer. KNOCK KNOCK.

There was no reply…

Rouge then pulled at the handle with all her might, but it was no use, for they were locked and had advanced hi-tech mechanisms in place. Tails sighed. "Why is it that I finally get the chance to make a difference and be a hero, but everything has to go wrong?" He thought aloud. Rouge turned around, and saw him weeping slightly. She approached Tails, and put her hand on his shoulder. She looked deeply into his eyes. "Trust me," she assured, "you're the bravest hero I've ever met." Tails smiled weakly.

SMASH! Suddenly Tails and Rouge turned around to see Knuckles dusting his fists, and there was a gaping hole through the centre of the doors. "How about that?" He jeered, his eyes fixed on Rouge. Their competitiveness was frustrating for poor Tails, who had to endure nearly a whole day with them constantly trying to outdo each other. The three characters crawled over the hole in the doors, and into the president's office. They stood up to see an array of alarmed faces from other cabinet members sat at the table, all of whom were focused on the intruders. There were, surprisingly, no security guards in the room.

"Why are you lot here?" The president boldly stood up and asked. "We came here as quick as we can," Tails replied hastily, "but one of your security guards locked us in a cell for a while." The president was speechless. The blank expression on his face caused a slight murmur to occur from the other cabinet members. Soon after though, he spoke: "hold on a minute, how the hell did you guys breach my security in the first place?" Tails and Knuckles turned towards Rouge, who was idly admiring her nails. "Oops," she replied in a hostile tone, "I accidentally led them in through a secret passage." The president saw red, "How dare you compromise the security of this place?" He retorted. "Rouge," he continued, "as a GUN agent I expected better from you than to defy protocol and let these trespassers in; for all we know they could be terrorists!" Knuckles scoffed at that remark. "You think _we're _terrorists?" Knuckles inquired with a brittle tone, "SONIC THE HEDGEHOG HAS TURNED EVIL AND WILL STOP AT NOTHING TO DESTROY THE WORLD!" He then took a deep breath, with a smug grin on his face. Rouge saw his body language and rolled her eyes at his blatant obsession with winning. Nevertheless, the president was taken aback by what Knuckles had said. He then frowned and nervously placed his hand on his forehead whilst he stared down at the floor.

The president sighed. "How long were you in the cell?" he asked. Tails shrugged "err…a couple of hours." The president then turned away, and peered out of the window at the back, with one arm behind him, the other stroking his slight beard. "All of this could have been averted if you weren't there…" he said slowly, with a notably melancholy tone. "…you came here to warn us of 'Dark Sonic' – didn't you? Well, we unfortunately knew about him before you arrived in here." Tails, Knuckles and Rouge all gasped in horror as they feared the worst. Tails was in denial though; Sonic would not have done anything hasty this early, would he? He then remembered the night in which he first encountered Dark Super Sonic, and how he didn't recognize his best friend in the entire world, let alone stop himself from attacking him. If Sonic would attack his best friend without question, then the worst outcome for the world was now completely plausible.

The president then continued: "If you had warned us quicker, the deaths could have been avoided…" The three heroes winced and gulped at these words…but there was more! "Dark Sonic…he…he attacked a large town 50 miles north of Station Square. The entire place was left in dust and rubble…so far, we have found no survivors. THAT MERCILESS MONSTER! He slaughtered them like animals, how could he commit such a heinous atrocity? He was once our hero; he protected us from evil, now he has become the very thing he sought to protect us from. Based on our video footage our experts have determined that he is far too powerful to defeat. There is no hope for us, no hope for humanity, and no hope for the world." The president crept towards his chair, and sat down. He looked deflated, woebegone, defeated. The atmosphere around the room was sad and hopeless. Then, a short, thin lady, with long brown curly hair and wearing glasses, stood up. "It is best if you saw the classified video footage of the catastrophe." She then looked towards the president. He slowly signaled his approval with a slight nod. He then pushed a blue button on the table; one of the walls suddenly shifted, revealing a large television from within the layers of the walls. The lady pressed the play button on the front of the TV. "As you can see," she commentated, "Sonic's dark state is too powerful for anything we can do." She then retreated to her seat whilst Tails, Rouge, and Knuckles stared in awe at the video of Sonic. The camera derived from a GUN helicopter, as the loud buzzing noise could easily be heard inside the room, supplemented by the subtle shaking of the camera. The large town it was focused on appeared to be just fine, until there was suddenly a black dot on top of the Town Hall – the tallest building there.

The camera then zoomed in to the dot, to reveal the menacing figure of Dark Super Sonic, hovering 2ft off the ground, with the eerie presence of the lack of irises disturbing the gathering crowd of civilians assembling before him. The civilians were oblivious to the danger he bestows; instead of fleeing for their lives they retrieved their cell phones and began taking pictures! Knuckles facepalmed. Meanwhile, the video showed Dark Sonic hover slightly higher, but he remained completely still. Suddenly, the local police were on the scene and observed the situation. "EVERYBODY RUN!" Came an order from the commissioner holding a megaphone on the outskirts of the town square. There were over a hundred police officers entering from all corners of the town square, their firearms aimed at the mysterious figure. Most civilians were casually walking away from the town square now, many of whom showing signs of disappointment that they couldn't stay to admire Sonic. However, some brave individuals opted to remain; they even took selfies with Sonic in the background! "FREEZE!" Came a voice, likely from a police officer towards sonic, albeit the video tape couldn't distinguish its true origin. As quick as a flash, Dark Sonic burst into life! He left a cloud of dark smoke where he once stood, as he kicked through the town hall and sent it crashing to pieces! He then encountered a barrage of bullets from a newly-established blockade of policemen. It was no use. Tails, Knuckles and Rouge gasped in shock as they were all wiped out within a matter of seconds! From the camera angle it appeared as though they just disappeared, but the reality was that Sonic was simply too fast to see in real-time. The lady stood up and fast forwarded the video slightly, showing a time-lapse of the entire town being absolutely demolished, including the fleeing civilians…

The camera picked up a young toddler; she clutched her teddy bear as she glanced around. Nobody was there. "MOMMY?" She wailed. She plodded slowly down the main road, encountering fire, dust, and debris. Then she froze still; she saw Dark Sonic in front of her. He held his right arm up, and pointed his index finger at her. Within two seconds, her immediate scream was silenced; she was destroyed by the dark power Sonic possessed. All that remained was the dirty head of her detached teddy bear as it rolled down the road. Finally, Dark Sonic vanished into thin air!

"We've got to do something!" Tails said. "Like what?" the President replied, "It's not like we _can_ do anything." Rouge then turned around towards the doors. "I've seen enough," she remarked, "I'll be in the barracks with Topaz. Later Knux!" And with that, she climbed out of the door and down the corridor. "Somebody has got to fix that door." The president commanded. Two members then got out of their seats and exited the room to seek help from the building's staff. Meanwhile, the president got up and closed the blinds on the window. He then leaned over the table, with a serious look on his face. "Our options are drastic, and all of them have huge problems in the long term." Tails and Knuckles decided to take the seats of the two men who left a moment ago. "We've gotta do something." Knuckles replied. "Very well then. Option 1 is to utilize our nuclear arms, and attempt to eradicate Sonic with the full might of our arsenal. Obviously, millions of people will die, not to mention permanent scarring of the environment. Option 2 is to issue a mandatory evacuation order; we shall flee far from here, likely into space, and hope this all blows over. Then there's option 3…" He paused. This sparked a moment of tense whispering and discussing amongst the cabinet members. "What is that?" Tails asked anxiously.

"Well, we will have to form an alliance with Doctor Eggman in order to have any real chance of effectively combating Sonic directly. Naturally, he will demand something in return, and with the high stakes, it will likely be our freedom…"

After what felt like centuries of conversing with each other, the cabinet concluded – all opted for an alliance with the sinister Doctor Eggman! "You can't!" Tails exclaimed, "How can you trust h-" The president thumped the table hard with his fist. "WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO? Look, I don't trust Eggman either, Tails, but we have no choice. If we unite our forces with Doctor Eggman's robot army, we will have a far greater chance of defeating Dark Sonic." The other members in the room nodded in concurrence. Tails was left befuddled. "There's always another way!" He cried as he leapt out of his seat and rushed out of the room. "Huh?" Knuckles was confused at his pal's behavior. "Sorry sir," he said to the president, "it's probably because he's so used to fighting the Doctor. Do whatever you think is best, but I'm gonna find Sonic and beat him so hard he'll turn blue again!" And with that, he too rushed off to find Tails. "That's very odd of them," the president thought aloud, "but I must proceed with what I think is best for my people. I can only hope that Eggman is generous enough to oblige. However, I do want to work closely with Tails and Knuckles." The president was left with a dilemma: work with Eggman, or listen to Tails…

He spent minutes pacing back and forth, scratching his chin as he did so. Alas, it was decided. The GUN will join forces with Doctor Eggman against Dark Sonic! "Lord forgive me," he remarked, "but time is not on our side. Tails can either help us or go away."

"You sent for me, sir?" It was Topaz, GUN's top agent! She and her partner Rouge are only utilized in the most extreme cases. "Yes," the president replied, "I need you and Rouge to go on a highly classified mission. You two, along with a select team of our finest operatives, must act as ambassadors as you will board Doctor Eggman's ship." Topaz was alarmed at this. "I'll brief you along the way to the hanger." The president stated as he showed Topaz the exit. "Can someone please fix these doors?" He yelled as he clambered through the hole that Knuckles created prior to the 'meeting'…

Meanwhile, Tails burst through the front doors of the President's place. Tear-filled, distraught, betrayed, he stopped at the edge of the president's gigantic garden. "Why are they working with Eggman?" Tails thought aloud. "Can't they see this is his plan all along? I was there! He caused Sonic to turn Dark; he wants him to scare the humans so much that they'll come crawling to him for help. Then he can take over the world! What can I do?" He then gazed into the cloudy sky above. He then felt something on his shoulder. "Don't worry pal!" It was Knuckles, who put his hand on Tails' shoulder for comfort. "Let's go home; I have a lot to tell you." Tails and Knuckles then did a quick high-five as they walked home to Amy and Cream. "Knuckles," Tails asked, "do you think Sonic can turn back to normal again?" Knuckles looked down sadly. "No." He said slowly, "Remember that time when he turned Dark before? Rouge told me she'd never seen anything like it. But after a while, he cooled down, and turned back to normal." Tails then seemed optimistic. "If he turned back to normal then," he said, "then why can't he now?" Knuckles sighed heavily. "We both saw the video Tails…he's different to before. There's Dark Sonic, then there's Dark _Super_ Sonic. He has more power than ever now; I don't even think that Eggman can stop him." He then chuckled slightly, "He'll get beat at his own game! Ha! The humans will feel stupid when they realize they put their faith in the wrong man! I can defeat Sonic once and for all!"

Tails looked perplexed. "How?" Knuckles grinned while looking at his hands. "By beating the crap out of him! I also know where to look for him."

"Don't do anything stupid," Tails replied, "if you go alone he'll destroy you!" Tails' voice was shaky, for he was worried of Knuckles' wellbeing. "Don't worry," Knuckles reassured, "I know what I'm doing. I'm not going to fight him alone; I need to find an old friend…"

Tails and Knuckles had now been walking for nearly half an hour; they had passed through the city centre and were now heading away from the array of skyscrapers and towards the peaceful outskirts of Station Square. Tails knew who Knuckles was referring to. There _was_ hope after all! In humanity's previous moment of despair, there were not one but two brave hedgehogs that saved the world. It was now clear who must confront Dark Super Sonic: SHADOW THE HEDGEHOG!

The two heroes were now in their familiar neighbourhood. However, Knuckles didn't want to join Tails inside. "Farewell, Tails." Knuckles said as the two were standing outside the front garden. Tails then gave Knuckles a big hug. "You look after yourself," he said tearfully, "I've already lost Sonic, and I don't want to lose you too! Look, be quick; we don't have much time before Sonic finds this city. Do whatever you can to get Shadow to help us." Knuckles smiled happily. Tails ceased hugging him. "What do you think GUN are doing right now?" He asked impatiently. "Rouge filled me in before I found you earlier." He replied. Subsequently, he told Tails of Rouge and Topaz becoming ambassadors, that they were boarding Eggman's ship tomorrow, and that Rouge must do whatever it takes to gain Eggman's assets. Tails sighed. "How can we communicate with GUN if they're on code red?" Knuckles once again gave a cheeky smile. "I've already sorted that. I've called for some old friends to help you guys. The Chaotix will know what to do, though I haven't heard from poor Mighty in a very long time. If Dark Super Sonic really is indestructible then we'll need all the help we can get. I'm off to look for Shadow now. Tell Amy and Cream everything and that I said 'hi'. We'll meet again, Tails!" And with that, Knuckles the Echidna strolled off in search of Shadow the Hedgehog, until he faded into the horizon…


	5. Chapter 5 - Alliance

Tails entered the house as he exited the previous day – alone. He found all the inhabitants relaxing in the lounge. As Tails sat down, Amy asked if he was alright and how it went. "I'll explain everything now." He promised. Then, Amy and Cream took another sip of their lukewarm tea, whilst Vanilla decided to make herself scarce by cleaning the kitchen for a bit.

Tails the fox had just finished informing them of the events that occurred with him, Rouge the bat, and Knuckles the echidna during their meeting with GUN and the president. He then told them of Knuckles departing, in a noble quest to find Shadow the Hedgehog.

"One more thing," Tails concluded, "Knuckles said to expect a few guests here soon. Apparently the Chaotix are going to help us." Cream then giggled. She remembered the times when Charmy Bee would do lots of silly stuff to make her laugh. "Yay, I get to see Charmy again!" Amy, however, looked confused. "Who are the Chaotix?" She asked Tails. Her amnesia had, unfortunately, not improved. Cream still maintained optimism for her, but Vanilla, who had been close to them over the last few days, feared the worst: Amy's memory was gone forever. "Well," Tails replied to Amy, "the Chaotix are the most awesome team ever! They are a group of detectives – at least, they were – and they're old friends of Knuckles. Knuckles and Mighty the Armadillo used to be part of the Chaotix, but went their separate ways. Knuckles now guards Angel Island, whereas Mighty has been missing ever since. Now though, Vector the Crocodile is the leader, Espio the Chameleon is the firepower, and there's also Charmy Bee-"

"Who's the funny one!" Cream interjected excitedly. Tails laughed awkwardly. "Yeah, that's what Charmy's job is." Amy seemed fascinated. "Chaotix sound really cool," she remarked idly, "so why do we need the Chaotix if Knuckles is getting this Shadow guy?"

"Because," Tails answered, "Sonic is now more powerful than we could ever imagine. You remember the night he attacked us, right? Even with Doctor Eggman's help, this world doesn't stand much chance. Shadow is evenly matched with Sonic in his normal form, but he needs all seven chaos emeralds to become Super Shadow. Only then will there be enough power to truly fight Dark Super Sonic. Plus it's a wildcard; nobody's heard a thing from him since he went on this weird journey a few months ago. He was headed towards the mountains, which is where Knuckles is looking as we speak. If Shadow can't be found in time, Amy, then we need everything we've got _here_, to defend. I'm thinking the Chaotix should be in charge of communications though; I can focus on building a thing or two for us all." Amy nodded to show her understanding. "This Shadow sounds so brave and strong." She remarked as her eyes dilated. "Here we go again…" Cream remarked. "What was that?" Amy snapped as she turned towards Cream. Cream then hurriedly sipped her tea. "Oh, err…nothing." Amy was, surprisingly, retaining her old personality. Any hope Cream had of changing her into a calm, relaxed hedgehog was surely out of the window by now.

KNOCK! KNOCK! "I'll get the door." Vanilla said as she headed towards the front door. "That'll be the Chaotix." Tails told the others. "Who is it?" Vanilla inquired as she slowly turned the knob on the door. Instantly after doing so, the Chaotix scurried in, like a bunch of raging bulls through a Spanish street. "I'll shut the door then…" Vanilla said in an icy tone. Meanwhile, the Chaotix clambered into the rather tiny living room. "Tails," Vector exclaimed whilst shaking his hand uncontrollably, "what a privilege it is to work for you!" Tails was utterly speechless; he felt important from receiving such a pleasant welcome from the Chaotix. "Knuckles told us you needed some help, so the Chaotix Detective Agency is here to solve your crimes." Espio facepalmed at this. "We seriously need a re-branding…" he proclaimed. Charmy giggled. Vector rolled his eyes. "Anyway, we are at your service, young Tails! I am a clever mind and have lots of abilities," he then leaned closer to Tails, "plus I'm the coolest croc around!" Espio scoffed and then went invisible, moments later he appeared between Tails and Vector and went: "BOO!" Vector screamed aloud and jumped back, crashing into a fatigued Vanilla - who was just entering the room. Charmy then burst with laughter amid all the commotion, and Espio smiled complacently. "Does a 'cool croc' scream like a girl?" he asked rhetorically. Charmy couldn't contain himself. He was buzzing around the room, clapping his hands frantically. Cream gazed fondly at Charmy. Espio turned to Tails. "I'm Espio the chameleon. You'll find that a ninja like me is the greatest asset you'll find here." Tails nodded awkwardly. Their volatile persona was certainly a surprise for Tails, who considered the qualities of a Detective Agency to be more mature. "Hey, Cream." Charmy said as he sat next to the young Rabbit. "Sorry Vanilla," Vector apologized. Vanilla smiled weakly. She'd always admired Vector.

Suddenly, Amy boldly stood up. "WHAT ARE YOU ALL DOING?" She bellowed. The commotion in the room ceased, and all attention was now on the little pink hedgehog in the middle of the room, with a large frown on her face. "We have a world to save, now stop messing about and work together!" Everyone then looked down at their feet; they had all acted incredibly childish, particularly the Chaotix. Amy then looked at Tails. "What do you want us all to do?" Her voice was sweet and innocent once more. "Alright guys, here's what we'll do." The others gathered round Tails and listened intently. Knuckles had ordered the Chaotix to primarily obey Tails, so he finally had his chance to shine as a true hero…

It was a dark and stormy night. A relentless barrage of rain bombarded the determined Echidna as he clambered up one of an array of tall mountain peaks. Poor Knuckles was cold, tired, and famished. However, he was adamant to pursue his goal: find Shadow the Hedgehog! Moments later, he was almost at a small cave within the mountain. As he flung one hand up to the top of the surface, the fragile surface crumbled away, and Knuckles was sent flailing into the air as some sedimentary rocks tumbled to their doom…2000ft below. Fortunately, Knuckles could glide, and glided onto the surface with relative ease. As he stood up and dusted himself down, he said, "That was pretty close. Shadow, I'm going through all of this effort to find you, you had better show yourself!" He then gazed fondly at the night sky. "All bad things must come to an end," he proclaimed, "I know that Dark Super Sonic can be stopped…" Subsequent to this, he stretched his arms and yawned loudly. He was tired from the perpetual climbing prior to his accomplishment of sanctuary in this warm cave. Knuckles turned around to gaze into the cave, it wasn't very large at all, in fact – Knuckles could see the end of the cave despite the darkness, because Echidnas have impeccable nocturnal vision. He lay down on the floor and closed his dreary eyes. However, as he was about to enter a deep sleep, something disturbed him. Instinctively, he leapt up and began to scurry with his knuckles. His treasure-hunting instinct was an overriding factor as he began to frantically dig away at the rocky ground. What could possibly be there?

As time transpired there was a faint humming sound. Knuckles grinned as he knew that familiar sound like a dog to the shaking of biscuits. All of a sudden, he paused. There was a luminous red glow emanating from below. Knuckles plunged his right hand forward and retrieved the object responsible for the glow. Later, he climbed out of the small ditch he erected and held up the item proudly. "I HAVE A CHAOS EMERALD!" He boldly remarked as he gazed fondly at the potent gem. "This chaos emerald has almost limitless power, and if I find the other six chaos emeralds I can become Super Knuckles!" He then lay down and drifted off to a relaxing, peaceful sleep, fantasizing of defeating Sonic in his own super form - and seeing the look on Rouge's face after having done so. As the Echidna slept near the warm energy of his new red chaos emerald, another life form was lurking somewhere else on the mountain…

"All set." said Tails. He then spun his silver spanner with his hand. As Knuckles was in search of Shadow, Tails and the others were preparing for something slightly different: they were building a plane! Cream, Amy, Tails, and the Chaotix were hard at work during the day creating a large transport specifically for the Chaotix to use. They needed to fly this to Eggman's ship before GUN set out. Now, though, it was late at night, and Tails was the only one in his hanger near to the house; the final adjustments were now complete!

"Tails, you've been working really hard all day, why don't you come inside and have some cookies?" It was Cream, whose caring nature had lured her to Tails, who had been alone for a few hours now. "Okay," Tails replied happily, "I've finished the transport anyway." Cream beamed with joy. "Well done," She commended, "you're so smart and hard-working."

Inside the house, Tails and Cream entered and found, to their surprise, a tranquil, peaceful atmosphere in the living room. Everyone was gathered around Vector, who was telling stories. "I remember this one time," Vector told, "when Charmy teased Knuckles about Rouge, and he tried to hit him! Ha! Charmy flew all over the place, and Knuckles looked like he was punching thin air!" This was met by a round of applause from Charmy, and a slight burst of laughter from the audience. Amy, however, looked down at the floor. Tails then saw her hurriedly slip past everyone and rush up the staircase. "I need to see Amy." Tails whispered to Cream, as he pursued the pink Hedgehog…

After Tails crept up the thin staircase – to not disturb Vector and the others – he encountered an array of doors. However, he noticed a glimmer of light emanating from the room on the far right, for the door was slightly open. Tails took a deep breath and marched into the room, to find Amy gazing tearfully out of the bedroom window. As Tails was about to speak, Amy began her little monologue. "Everything just feels so wrong," She cried as she knelt to the floor, still staring into the glistening night sky. "I am friends with all of them, yet I don't remember a single thing about them. Vector goes on telling stories about Knuckles and I would've known them, if I hadn't lost my memory." She then sighed deeply. "The only memory I have from my past," Tails gasped slightly at this, but quickly stifled the sound with his hand, for he wanted Amy to reveal it to him unconsciously. "It's not even a memory at all," Amy continued, after pausing for a while. "But it's a feeling. My heart longs for someone, another hedgehog. I just feel so lost and lonely without a companion." She then buried her head into her hands and began crying uncontrollably. "There's nobody here that I can relate to. That Dark Sonic apparently wasn't always evil, but he attacked me – I can _never_ forgive him for that!" Amy screeched the last line, for reminiscing over the night she lost her memory made her severely angry. She then ceased crying, and stood up; she now had a straight face. "You know what?" She asked herself rhetorically, "I don't need to stay in the past. In fact, I don't _want _to know about my past, this is a new start for me! Whatever I was like before, well I will never know. Everyone keeps going on about a hedgehog called Shadow…" She paused, pondering over what she just said. "Shadow," she repeated, "what a lovely name! So mysterious, I wonder if he can fulfil my heart's desires." Subsequently, she ceased talking in a slow, dreamy voice, and spoke normally: "As much as I like Cream and Tails and the others, I just don't belong here anymore. They'd be much better off without me; I'm just holding them back. They want to save the world, and they all have incredible powers, what can I do? I'm just a hopeless romantic."

Tails, who was amidst the shadows of Amy and Cream's bedroom, was left utterly speechless but what he had just heard from Amy Rose. He couldn't comprehend how she still has these strong emotions, despite having no memory of her former crush – Sonic – at all. What's more, Amy doesn't feel like she belongs here, and that she's deadweight for the work everyone's doing to confront Dark Super Sonic. Tails scratched his chin as he thought things through, but he knew he must act quickly, before Amy does something she'll regret. Before he could reveal himself to a woebegone Amy Rose, she looked again out the window, and said slowly: "I wanted to say goodbye to Cream, she's tried her best to help me and she's really nice, but I must leave now. I don't want to cause a fuss-"

"DON'T GO!" Tails exclaimed as he burst into life. Amy jumped out of sheer shock! She then turned round, to see that the yellow fox had eavesdropped on her very intimate monologue.

"Tails," Amy asked, flabbergasted, "did you just hear _everything_ I said?" Tails guiltily looked down at the floor, for he now felt ashamed. "Right," Amy continued, "firstly, don't you _ever_ do that again! Secondly, don't tell a word of what you've heard to the others! And thirdly, why are you here in the first place?"

"Well, Amy, I just came back from finishing my work, and I saw you looking sad, and you went up the stairs. I wanted to make sure you were okay, but before I could confront you, you began talking, so I didn't want to interrupt you." Amy sighed and took her attention off of Tails, and again she peered idly out the window. Tails beckoned closer and he too looked out of the window. "We all need you here." Tails said casually, "Before you had amnesia you were Cream's best friend, and we thought you still were."

"I am," Amy replied quickly, "but I just don't feel like I fit in anymore. You've all been on these big adventures and you have these incredible powers, what can I do to help you?" Tails looked into Amy's eyes. "You are our friend." Tails said slowly. "We will do anything to make sure you are okay, and running away isn't going to solve anything." Amy reflected on what she had said. "I guess so," she replied at last, "but it's going to take ages to make me truly remember who I am." Tails then had a eureka moment! "Amy!" He cried, "I _can_ help you! You say that your heart is unfulfilled, well you already know that you used to be wildly in love with Sonic the Hedgehog!" Amy was befuddled by this. "What did I ever see in him?" She wondered. Tails then informed her of all the noble deeds Sonic used to do, his immense speed, his blue fur, his trademark red sneakers, and his arrogant persona which, coincidentally, Amy was most fond of about him. "I don't know," Amy replied, "perhaps if he can return to his true self I may fall in love with him again. But I don't want be in love with Sonic just because I used to, I want to literally feel it, you know? Anyway, I'm sorry for saying that I'll leave; you've convinced me to stay with you guys." Tails then smiled with relief. Amy then smiled back and gave him a huge hug to congratulate him. "You're cute," she said as she began to giggle. Tails blushed. "Err…anyway, it turns out that you DO have powers like us! But I'll let you know what it is in the morning." Tails opted to tell her in the morning as an incentive to ensure Amy didn't have second thoughts of fleeing. The young fox then strolled towards the door as Amy crawled into her welcoming bed. "Goodnight Amy," Tails called, "you need to rest. We have a big day tomorrow!" And with that, he shut the bedroom door behind him. Subsequently, he rushed downstairs to rejoin with the others…

Something rather extraordinary was occurring in the living room. Somehow, they had obtained a battered old karaoke machine. Vanilla, Cream and Cheese were sat in a line at the wall adjacent to the front garden, whilst the Chaotix each had a microphone in their hands, at the back of the room. Tails then sat next to Cream the Rabbit. "What's happening here?" He inquired. Cream then giggled with excitement. "The Chaotix are going to sing a song for us!" Tails then facepalmed…

Vector introduced the audience to their 'concert.' "Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the Chaotix Concert! I am Vector, the lead singer…and poster boy." He then winked at Vanilla, who blushed slightly. "Anyway, we are going to sing the best song ever tonight: TEAM CHAOTIX!" This was met by a frantic round of applause and cheering from the audience.

"_The power has arrived in a dream team  
A force where one and one make three  
And when the trail's gone cold and the lies have been told  
This crew'll find what you can't see_

Yeah, danger hides when the hyper bee flies  
And the ninja stars fly too  
The muscle is Vector, the karma collector  
And he's sworn to fight for you

Team Chaotix - They're detectives you want on your side  
Team Chaotix - Their directive's tracking down your crime  
Come along for the ride  
The truth can run, but not hide for long - the game is on...now!"

The electric atmosphere was intense! "The Chaotix sure know how to put on a show!" Tails remarked, his initial impressions proven wrong by the talented team Chaotix. Suddenly, the front door burst open. A large, menacing figure protruded into the living room. As the light revealed his identity though, it turned out to be none other than Big the Cat! "Hey guys," Big said, "I know you're all having fun, but I live all the way down the street, and me and Froggy can't get off to sleep. We've got a big day tomorrow, catching lots of fish!" Vector then approached big and shook his hand. "We're terribly sorry," Vector apologized, "We didn't know it was 3am! We'll knock it on the head for tonight." He promised. "Whatever happened to party all night?" Charmy inquired. Espio then folded his arms and turned the other way, for Charmy was only complicating the situation. Vector then grinned rather awkwardly at Big. "Yes, yes, we'll stop rockin' out for tonight." He said hurriedly as he ushered Big towards the front door nearby. Big then waved goodbye to everyone and left the house, politely shutting the door behind him. Subsequently, everyone else decided to retire for the night. Vanilla went to her room, Cheese went to Amy's and Cream's room, and the Chaotix remained downstairs on the sofas. Tails and Cream, however, were in the kitchen…

"Amy wanted to what?" Cream asked Tails, curious yet bewildered. "I'm telling the truth." Tails whispered back, conscious that they must remain quiet. "I don't believe it." Cream replied. "Look Cream, you're Amy's best friend, so I told you everything she said tonight. Just don't tell her I told you, and don't mention what I said to her, just use the information as guidance." Cream sighed sadly, "I thought Amy was feeling welcome here," she said solemnly. "I'm just not good enough to help her with her memory!" "Sshhhh," Tails whispered loudly in reply. "Anyway," he continued in a low voice, "it's her lack of memory that is the reason _why_ she doesn't feel welcome or useful around us. We need Amy to help us fight Dark Super Sonic; her Piko Piko is incredibly powerful and I have a theory to return Sonic back to normal involving Amy. If Sonic is even a little conscious and he sees Amy again, maybe it will remind him of who he truly is…" Cream gasped in amazement. "You really are clever, Tails! Okay, I'll sit down with Amy tomorrow and we will look at the old photos of us, and I'll tell her every adventure we went on, and what we're all like." Tails then shook her hand and thanked her dearly. The fox and the rabbit then retired themselves, as they could already see the breaking of dawn amidst the horizon…

CRASH! "Huh?" Remarked Knuckles as he was abruptly awoken by the thunderous booming of rocks crashing in the distance. "I've gotta get out of here!" He exclaimed as he made a dash for the mouth of the cave he was sleeping in the previous night. The distinctive yellow glow of sunlight was now clear, Knuckles was nearly out…CRASH! The petrifying roar of rocks was becoming more frequent; something peculiar was occurring on the mountain range, albeit Knuckles couldn't see what it was. What's more, the cave he is in now is truly a perilous place to be amid the chaos, for he could be caved in! "I bet Eggman is behind all this," Knuckles proclaimed as he sprinted even faster. Then, a more disturbing explanation occurred to him. "It can't be Dark Sonic, can it?" CRASH! Knuckles was within touching distance of exiting the cave now, and he could see the gigantic mountain range opposite the peak he's on, as well as the taste of fresh air. To his amazement, he witnessed an entire mountain crumble to the ground! "Whoa!" Knuckles cried as he rubbed his eyes. I've gotta see what's-"

"Going somewhere?"

The unknown voice was deep; soothing, yet bitter. Knuckles immediately turned around, to see a dark silhouette. His outline showed spikes on his back, so Knuckles knew it was a hedgehog, but which one? "Are you Dark Sonic?" Knuckles asked in an aggressive tone. The figure then walked casually towards Knuckles. As he beckoned closer, the light from outside depicted a clearer image of this intruder. The hedgehog then chuckled. "No," he said, "I'm not_ that_ faker, for I am Shadow the Hedgehog!" Knuckles was relieved. His quest out here was complete. Now he could bring Shadow back to the others and defeat Sonic once and for all! "Shadow? Boy am I glad to see you! I've been looking all over for-"

"Whatever." Shadow interrupted. He then held out his arm. "Take my hand." He commanded. "I don't unders-"

"JUST DO IT!"

CRASH! CRASH! The frequency of damage outside was increasing. With no time to lose, Knuckles grabbed hold of Shadow's outstretched hand.

"CHAOS…CONTROL!" Shadow yelled, subsequently teleporting both characters away from the precarious locale…

"Where am I?" Knuckles asked as he clambered to his feet, slightly dazed from the revolting experience. As his eyes became accustomed to the daylight, he saw Shadow standing on top of a nearby boulder, his arms folded, and his stern face over-looking the snowy mountain range where they were previously. "You're safe." Shadow replied. They were on a grassy hill; there was no sign of any enemies in the vicinity. Knuckles then grunted and climbed the boulder where Shadow was standing. "What do you think is causing those mountains to crumble?" Knuckles asked, mimicking Shadow's signature pose. "Who do you think?" Shadow replied. "It's Sonic. But he's so angry, so much negative energy; he's turned into Dark Sonic." Knuckles then nodded. "You do know that he's now Dark _Super_ Sonic, right?" Shadow was now intrigued, as his eyebrows rose. "Now it makes sense!" He cried. "This is exactly what Doctor Eggman wanted!" Now Knuckles was the one whose eyebrows rose. "I want you to tell me everything!" Knuckles ordered. Shadow scoffed. "And why would I do that?" He teased. Knuckles then saw red. "BECAUSE WE BOTH KNOW THAT HE'LL DESTROY THE WHOLE WORLD! EGGMAN DOESN'T KNOW WHAT HE'S MESSING WITH HERE; WE NEED TO ACT NOW AND FAST!" Shadow was left undeterred by Knuckles' rant, for he remained static, in his trademark stance. A smile emerged from the side of his face. "Very well," he said at last, "I wanted to tell you anyway, but I wondered what your negotiating skills are like. Follow me; we are going to my temporary home." Shadow then initiated his iconic chaos control, and brought Knuckles to a place at the apex of a green hill near to where they previously were.

The mountain range could easily be seen from their location, and the two characters witnessed yet another peak get annihilated by Sonic in the distance. "He's getting stronger." Shadow remarked. "The more anger he unleashes, the more negative energy is made. You all know that I went on this quest alone, but none of you knew what it was for." He then walked to a table and sat on one of the two wooden chairs. Knuckles then took a second to view his surroundings. It appeared to the Echidna that he was in a normal house. It had wooden floorboards, concealed poorly by a scarcely-populated set of carpets. The walls lacked decoration, and the wood look off-colour and ancient. The room itself was relatively small; there was a kitchen area in one corner with the apparatus looking dilapidated and battered over the years. Furthermore, there was a miniscule fireplace near to the table where Shadow was sitting. The only other notable aspect of this place was a bed in the far corner, which Knuckles presumed was the only utility being used by Shadow. After familiarizing himself with his surroundings, Knuckles eventually sat in a chair opposite the black hedgehog…

"I journeyed out to the mountains because I was informed from a reliable source that the whereabouts of a chaos emerald was spotted here." Knuckles was eager to know more. "Who told you?" He interrupted.

"Rouge the bat. She is a GUN operative and has access to their secret files; all she wanted in return was a hug though. Strange, don't ya think?" Knuckles then grinned. "Sounds just like something she'd do."

"Anyway, I spent weeks out here in the cold; my endeavor to locate this chaos emerald was such a grueling, monotonous task that it nearly sent me insane. Luckily, I found this place, and I told myself that I needed to come here every once in a while to take my mind off things." Knuckles then asked him what Eggman's got to do with any of this. "I was just coming to that. It turns out that the doctor knew of my whereabouts, and he visited me here with his Egg-o-matic. Naturally, I was vigilant, as I knew how deceiving he can be. It turned out, though, that the Eggman wanted the chaos emerald here too. He sat down with me where you're sitting right now, and he thought he convinced me that I had no purpose to gather the chaos emeralds for myself, and that I should work for him. He then gave me this chaos emerald!" He then retrieved two chaos emeralds from his pocket, and pointed to the one on the left. "I had the first one all along," he continued rapidly, "and the second one was given to me to increase the reactivity between these chaos emeralds, so the third will react greater when in close proximity. Eggman only came here yesterday, so I haven't had much time to retrieve the chaos emerald within the mountains. And then I found you…"

"Yeah," Knuckles said, scratching the back of his head awkwardly, "I found that chaos emerald on my first night there!" He then gloated as he showed his red chaos emerald to a surprised Shadow. He then quickly put it away. "Being a treasure hunter like me really pays off! Anyway, how did the Doctor know you were here, and why should I believe you?"

"I think it was Rouge who tipped him off; you know how much she lacks loyalty. And I don't care if you are struggling to believe me – what I said is the truth! I don't want to see Sonic destroy the world and I think that the doctor has gone insane with this preposterous plan. Now, I want that chaos emerald!"

"You want this chaos emerald? You want all your hard work to pay off? Then I will make an offer." Shadow was taken aback at how composed and intuitive Knuckles was. "Okay," Shadow replied reluctantly, "what do you want?"

"Well, my friend Tails has TWO chaos emeralds already, I have one here – so that's three. You have two – so that's five. Rouge tells me that the doctor has two chaos emeralds – so that's seven!" Shadow was perplexed as to what Knuckles was attempting to articulate. He then noticed Shadow's blank expression. "What I'm trying to say is this: work with us, and we will all do everything we can to ensure that _you_ get all seven chaos emeralds. What do you say?" Shadow paused for a moment, critically evaluating this enticing offer. After careful consideration, Shadow said: "Okay, I'll accept your offer. Shall we join your colleagues so that we can discuss everything properly?" Knuckles then nodded with approval. "Aren't ya gonna ask me what we need you to do with the chaos emeralds?" Knuckles asked, as the two strolled towards the fragile front door. "No, because it is your job to convince me to do what you wish. And I presume you want me to fight Sonic, correct?" Knuckles was confounded by this. "Yeah…don't play smart with me, Shadow. You will know what you need to do when we reach Tails, Tails knows what to do." Shadow sighed, "And you are all putting your faith in a young, yellow fox now that Sonic has 'changed'?" Knuckles gave Shadow a sinister stare. "Tails is very smart and brave, and we all have complete faith in him. Plus he's Sonic's best friend, so it's only right that Tails should be the brains behind our operations."

"Whatever…"

Knuckles then clutched both hands on Shadow's arm, and they whooshed forward at a blistering speed! They had to travel past the mountains in order to return to Station Square – but where was Dark Sonic?


	6. Chapter 6 - Preparation

Whilst Knuckles had found Shadow the Hedgehog, Tails and the others were preoccupied with their respective preparations against Dark Super Sonic. That day, Tails revealed to the others of his new creations. Amy, Cream, and the Chaotix were all fascinated by the wonder before their eyes in the hanger.

"Wow," Vector remarked, "that plane is an impressive piece of kit!" Tails smiled awkwardly in acknowledgment of this compliment from the leader of the Chaotix. Tails then coughed slightly. "Listen up," he announced, "here is the Tornado 2000! My old tornado served me well, but it was destroyed on the day Sonic turned dark. Anyway, this had lots of cool upgrades! As you'll notice it is a slick silver colour, and I have fitted invisibility capabilities as well. Plus, it is a lot bigger than before, and the back can now seat four passengers. This also has fighting abilities, with rapid fire rounds as well as heavy rounds, along with lots of other cool stuff for the pilot to play with…" Tails paused, and ceased pacing left and right to see his audience gasp in amazement. "You're really growing up fast." Cream remarked. "This is really good, Tails!" Amy cried. However, it was Espio who picked up on what Tails concluded with. "Why did you say 'the pilot?'" he inquired. "Are you not piloting the tornado 2000?" Tails then smiled. "Right," Tails continued, "I will not be flying this plane, for the Chaotix will need to use this." Charmy then buzzed in circles out of sheer excitement. "Listen Chaotix," he continued in a sincere tone, "I trust you to go on a_ very _important mission. You three are to become ambassadors for us, and you shall board Doctor Eggman's egg-carrier. I want Espio to have the comm. link." he then retrieved a light wristband from one of his two tails, and handed it over to Espio the chameleon, who immediately put it on. "This is very important as we can communicate like this. Vector, you are in charge and I've heard that you used to fly long ago. So you do that, Espio must handle the negotiations, and Charmy, you are the backup!" Charmy beamed with excitement. "Backup! Yippee! Wait…what's that?" Tails chuckled, "If things turn 'sour' up there you will be needed to help defend yourselves with your sting attack – but ONLY do that if Vector gives you the order! Understand?" Charmy nodded quickly.

"That's not all I've been working on," Tails revealed. This was followed by a collective 'oo' from the two ladies. The corner of the hanger, which Tails pointed at, contained two vast sheets, shrouding a mysterious object within. The gang edged towards these intriguing items. "Now," Tails announced, "Amy and Cream, it is our job to remain on the ground and help GUN to protect this city from Dark Super Sonic. To do this, I have a little something for ya." He then spun his Tails like a helicopter rotor and flew to the top of the two mystery objects. He flung off the cover for both, thus revealing two identical, gargantuan mechs! They magnificently towered at 30ft tool, and their glossy chrome finish was incredibly shiny as it reflected most light. Also, one mech had pink metal on the knee caps and elbows, whereas the other had yellow. This contrast in colour clearly portrayed which titan belonged to whom. To further justify this, Tails' mech had one semi-sphere of reinforced clear plastic where the head is situated, whereas its counterpart had an extra seat at the titan's torso.

"It's amazing!" Amy exclaimed. "You're the best, mister Tails!" Cream then remarked. Tails then said to everyone that they can use the vehicles in 2 hours time. Subsequent to this, all the characters exited the hanger and returned to the lounge. The only two who remained in the hanger was Tails and Amy. After a few awkward moments of silence between the two, it was Tails who broke the ice. "Well, it is the morning," he joked casually. "So, do you want to know what powers you have?" Amy nodded promptly. "Follow me then!" Tails then lead an apprehensive Amy Rose outside, into the grassy garden.

"So what do I do?" Amy asked, facing Tails. "I'm not fast like Dark Sonic, I'm not smart like you, I can't turn invisible or breathe fire or fly like the Chaotix, even Cheese is more of a threat than I am." She then looked down at the grass, her tears beginning to trickle off her face. She felt so useless now; maybe Tails was going to teach her karate or something? She couldn't comprehend that she used to have great powers before she was hit hard on the head. Suddenly, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She had to remember something, she must! Tails stood back in ambiguity as he observed Amy squinting and shaking, frantically trying to remember her former self. "I've got to remember!" Amy screeched aloud. All she could see within her mind was darkness, pure darkness. She looked deeper and deeper within her sub-conscience, adamant to find her answer. She then saw something, a blurry vision. Everything was grey and hazy, albeit she could see a figure in front of her, reminiscent of one of Eggman's robots. It edged closer and closer towards her, pointing its sharp weapon at her. Then, as Amy was cornered, she looked down and grabbed her Piko Piko hammer, and thrust it up into the air with immense speed! It was then sent crashing down on the head of the unsuspecting robot. The hammer penetrated through the entirety of the robot, thus leaving a mechanical train wreck in its wake. Suddenly, Amy saw something jump down from the building cornering her from behind. It had spiky fur, and was about the same height as her line of sight in this memory. He was blue, and had a beaming smile on his face. "Amy, you okay?" Sonic said. Amy then lunged towards him with open arms. Just as she was about to witness romance with her former crush for the first time, the grey hazy vision was slowly fading away, being replaced again by the dark nothingness of her mind.

"Amy!" Amy then snapped out of her trance, to see a concerned Tails shaking her shoulders. He then saw her regain consciousness, and thus refrained from the shaking. "You're okay!" He exclaimed, "Your eyes wouldn't open and you were trembling and shaking. You had me worried for a second. What exactly happened?"

"I was trying to remember about how I was," she replied, "and I envisioned this one memory! It was all grey and blurry, but I made out what happened. There was this robot about to finish me off, and I grabbed this hammer thing, and I smashed it to pieces! And then I saw Sonic, the_ real_ Sonic. He was so handsome, so brave. If only we could find a way to bring him back before it's too late…" Tails was left speechless. He was amazed that Amy could remember something, and not only that but she could remember how Sonic used to be!

"So do you still hate Sonic?" Tails eventually asked. Amy smiled and shook her head from left to right. "No, but I'm not sure if I actually_ love_ him though." Tails smiled weakly.

"We need to get back on track," he said hurriedly. "Your special ability from before was to use your hammer, known as the Piko Piko. There's a problem though: only you knew how to get them. If you can muster-"

WHOOSH! "Looking for this?" Amy asked triumphantly, as a gleaming hammer was holstered in her hand. "Whoa!" Tails gasped. "Right…erm…well, now that you can remember how to get your Piko Piko hammer, you must revise your fighting and combat skills." He then pointed to the back of the garden, where there were ten 2D wooden figures, each resembling the appearance of Dark Sonic. "Now, Amy, I want you to practice your moves when you're ready. You've now remembered what Sonic used to be like, but that can't get in the way of your task. It may come down to you to defeat him, and like you said before, you shouldn't stay in the past. Show these practice enemies no mercy, and add a bit of style and power here and there." He then walked contently towards the house, leaving Amy to unleash her fury at the wooden figures…

As Tails strolled idly into the living room, he noticed everyone gathered intently around the TV screen. "What's happening?" Tails asked. Cream spotted Tails and approached him. "You're missing it mister Tails," she replied hastily, "the news reporter has something very important to announce!" The two then sat down on the remaining seats.

"_We interrupt this program to bring you an important message from Mr. President."_

Tails knew what he was going to say, but was it too late? "Charmy," Tails called, "I need you to go on a top secret mission for me. Think you can do it?" Charmy nodded. "I need you to sneak into the president's place, and plant a bug in his office." Charmy looked confused. "You mean like a grasshopper?" Espio rolled his eyes. "No, silly, a bug is also a device you plant in a room which will allow us to hear what is going on there." Charmy showed an expression of sheer bewilderment. "So, grasshoppers are plants that spy on people?" Vector then intervened. "Tails, why don't we find the computer room instead?" "Because, Vector, we need to communicate directly with the president. Charmy, are you ready to go?" Tails then retrieved a small square-shaped device from his tail, and handed it to the sneaky bee. "I sure am!" He beamed as he yanked the device from Tails, stole the comm. link from Espio's wrist, and flew out of the front door!

Tails immediately rushed to his hanger and retrieved a small walkie-talkie. This is the only device compatible with the comm. link, as Tails had encrypted the signal prior to today. "Charmy, can you read me?" Tails asked as he talked into the walkie-talkie. He was wondering back towards the house simultaneously. "I'm going on a mission! I'm going on a mission! Yippee!" Charmy sang in a playful manner. "Charmy listen to me, you need to be serious with this. If you are caught-"

"Don't worry; you can count on the Chaotix!"

Tails was not reassured by this statement, but he had to find faith in him regardless.

A few minutes later, Tails gathered Vector, Espio, Amy, Cream, and Cheese in the living room. "Everybody, Charmy has gone to plant a bug in the president's office while he is giving his speech." He announced, "Let's see what the president has to say to his people, and we can take action from there." Suddenly, the TV flashed, revealing the president standing outside the front of his house, met by tones of flashing cameras from the paparazzi…

"_My fellow civilians, I stand before you today to warn you of a threat to our very existence. The clip you are seeing in the bottom corner of your TV screens is footage taken yesterday of an entire town being mercilessly obliterated by a sinister, genocidal monster! So, who is this dark figure? Well, it turns out that Sonic the Hedgehog, the one who helped us defend ourselves against Doctor Eggman in the past, has turned evil – he is now Dark Super Sonic! He clearly has no control over his actions anymore, and my top scientists have concluded that the negative energy has now overwhelmed him; he won't stop until everything is destroyed! So, amid our darkest hour, I call upon an old foe to assist us in combating this threat: Doctor Eggman. Our relationship has been 'uneasy' in the past, but surely we must all work together as one? GUN, combined with the Egg fleet, could potentially be enough to defeat Sonic. It's our one and only hope. Ten minutes from now I am sending my top GUN agents, Rouge and Topaz, to board the Egg carrier, and negotiate a deal with the Doctor. I urge you all not to panic, for this crisis will be averted. As of this second I am issuing a mandatory evacuation order; every civilian must report to the city centre immediately, where the police force will be on the ground and accompany you through various subways and tunnels underground – you will be safe there. Leave the military to fight in the city, don't try and play hero by defying my orders and staying where you are. Find a way underground, thank you. May god bless us all in this dark time for humanity."_

Tails got up and pushed the button on the TV, turning it off. "This is all happening so fast," he said, "where are Knuckles and Shadow when ya need them?" Amy then stood up confidently. "We can still do what we can without them!" She assured. "We have the Tornado 2000, titans, and lots of other cool stuff! You have to believe in yourself Tails, I believe in you."

"I believe in you." Cream mimicked.

"I believe in you." Espio repeated.

"I believe in you." Vector recurred.

"Chao chao!" Cheese cried.

Tails was taken aback by all of this sudden support, but he now felt confident again.

"You're right guys! We _can_ postpone Sonic for long enough that Knuckles and Shadow can return. Okay let's do this!" And with that, the self-assured fox marched out of the living room towards the hanger, to prepare the tornado 2000 – and the titans - for battle…


	7. Chapter 7 - Assault

"There's Station Square." Knuckles mentioned as him and Shadow ceased speeding. They were now in a barren wilderness, within a few miles from the borders of Station Square. "So we need to get into the city and find Tails?" Shadow inquired.

"Right," Knuckles answered sharply, "but it appears that GUN are getting ready over there." He then pointed towards a plethora of khaki helicopters flying in from the direction of where Prison Island's situated. "It seems like they don't want anyone getting in or out." Shadow observed. Knuckles then smiled a little. "I was talking to the president not too long ago," he replied, "and he is preparing to-"

"I don't care, just get me to Tails."

"Man, you need to lighten up…" Knuckles replied as he leisurely ventured towards the city, Shadow closely following.

"Hurry up!" Shadow demanded impatiently. He couldn't stand the snail pace Knuckles was forcing on the ultimate life form. "There is no need to hurry," Knuckles argued serenely, "Dark Sonic wouldn't think about going here until a few days a-"

BOOM!

Knuckles and Shadow immediately ceased all motion, as they were engrossed by the petrifying dark aura surrounding the sinister figure of Dark Super Sonic! Sonic was facing them, his fully-white eyes staring at their faces, seeking fear in their faces. On the contrary to his wishes, Knuckles and Shadow were not that frightened, but more rather surprised. They both saw behind Sonic, and noticed that the helicopters had landed, as countless GUN soldiers from across the continent were congregating behind the newly-built city walls.

"Sonic," boomed the brittle voice of the GUN commander's megaphone, "you are to turn away and stay at least 2,000 miles away from Station Square! Understood?" Everybody then fell silent; all that could be heard was a gentle – albeit quite chilly – windy breeze. The momentary lapse of silence felt to those there as though it had occurred for an eternity…

Suddenly, as quick as a flash, Dark Sonic hurtled towards a sluggish Knuckles, and took the red Echidna by surprise! Dark Sonic thrust his fist at Knuckles' face, and sent him crashing to the ground over 50ft away! Shadow, enraged at what he had witnessed, clenched his fists and eyed Sonic with a menacing gaze. "You'll pay for that!" Shadow promised Sonic. Despite this threat from the ultimate life-form, Sonic just stood motionless, seemingly oblivious to any threat Shadow bestowed. Shadow then glanced towards Station Square; a loud siren had gone off, followed by the immediate arrival of what appeared to be almost every single soldier in the city, approaching the location of Shadow and Dark Super Sonic. There were thousands of soldiers, accompanied by the full arsenal of the GUN. Tanks, artillery, helicopters, and snipers were all deployed in sheer force; surely Sonic would find sense and cease his little games?

"Sonic," Shadow said slowly, "you know this isn't you. Take control of yourself:_ fight_ the negative energy overwhelming you, before you do something stupid…if not then I'll have to kill you…" Shadow then unclenched his fists and cautiously protruded towards Sonic! This was now being recorded on live television, as a courageous news reporter and her team were covering the event in their news helicopter above.

"_We are bringing you LIVE footage from the outskirts of Station Square! Here, we can see most of the GUN's military strength assembling over *there* and they will help protect us from the evil Dark Super Sonic over th- who is that?" _

The camera then zoomed in towards Dark Sonic, to reveal to the public of another dark hedgehog, however this one seemed almost identical to the blue Sonic of the past, and lacked that distinctive purple aura Dark Sonic possessed.

"_Well, it appears that there is another hedgehog! He is confronting the evil Sonic, it appears. Could he save us? Perhaps the president ought to rethink his decision to form an alliance with the Eggman after all. But where did this hedgehog come from? We are now going to turn on the microphone, so that you can hear everything for yourself." _

"Sonic," Shadow repeated, "you don't have to do this. Millions of people are already scared thanks to you, just turn around, and go away!" This was followed by another moment of silence as tension escalated. Eventually, Sonic moved! But it spelt disaster for Shadow, and the inhabitants of Station Square, for he now had a broad smile on his face, and chuckled in such a sinister manner that even Dr. Eggman would be jealous! "Huh?" Shadow remarked, as he understood the harsh reality that diplomacy would inevitably fail with this beast. "Move in!" the commander's voice bellowed from afar. Subsequently, the soldiers rushed in; each platoon was lead by a captain at the front, and moments later, the land was now completely covered by military forces! They closed in on Shadow and Sonic, completely surrounding them and leaving but a small circle for them to move around in. The front line was actually from the police force though, as riot response units engaged their riot shields, creating an impenetrable wall that, in theory, would prevent Sonic from advancing should negotiations turn sour.

"Sonic? Say something! I am tired of you just standing-" In a flash, Sonic had seemingly teleported so that he was now face to face with Shadow, who was not intimidated in the slightest. "All of you are writing your own death sentence," Shadow told the soldiers near to him, looking sternly at their anxious faces. "Go; let me take care of-"

"AAAARGH!"

It was Knuckles! He had recovered from his knock early on and thrust himself towards Sonic, with his sharp fists heading straight for the back of his head! Shadow saw what was happening, and he quickly moved out of the way, whereas Sonic was ambushed, and was sent crashing head-first into one of the countless riot shields. He was on the floor, dazed, down, but not out…

POOF! Dark Sonic had disappeared, leaving the eerie purple smoke where he lay. This spooked the soldiers, who collectively took a step backwards. "He could be anywhere," one soldier yelled in fear, "let's retreat!"

"Hold your line!" Immediately came a deep voice, with no trembling in his voice – it was the captain of his platoon. "You okay, Knuckles?" Shadow asked, trying to sound interested. "Sure," Knuckles replied, holding his head due to the pain derived from the collision to the ground earlier, "it's gonna take more than Sonic with a new fur coat to defeat me!"

"Yeah, you sure look silly now, coming to find me in the mountains, and grovel for my help. Dark Sonic is so weak that-"

SMASH! Sonic had reappeared, and sent Shadow high into the air with a powerful kick. Shadow then crashed down behind all the soldiers, far away from the subsequent duel between Dark Super Sonic, and Knuckles the Echidna…

Knuckles punched and punched and punched, but it was no use, for Sonic was merely teasing the poor Echidna. The fact was that Knuckles, while having the same strength as Sonic has speed (albeit Dark Sonic now has 3x the speed), was just too slow. And Sonic whooshed to the left, to the right, and back again. "Stay still you coward!" Knuckles demanded angrily as he became ever more tired. Then, Sonic stood still – to the amazement of Knuckles! He directed his fist towards Sonic's malevolent face, but Sonic merely maneuvered his head away from danger, and grasped both his hands onto Knuckles' outstretched arm. He then twisted it round, causing Knuckles to scream in sheer agony. Then, he dragged his arms behind his head, sending Knuckles flying over him and crashing to the ground. Knuckles barely had enough energy to nurse his fresh wound, hence resulting in him lying unconscious.

"_It appears that our friend Knuckles the Echidna has been brutally beaten here. The problem, though, is the manner of the defeat. Sonic teased the poor guy, as his strength was far superior. What about the army here; could they defeat Sonic? Doctor Eggman should be joining forces with us in the next few hours, as negotiations are confirmed by sources close to the president to have commenced!_"

Sonic towered over the broken echidna. Knuckles was clearly unconscious, as he lay completely stationary, as oodles of blood gushed out of a severe cut on his forehead. Sonic sensed no threat from Knuckles, and decided to spare his life. He then booted Knuckles in his chest, sending his back whacking a riot shield! This was met by the sudden ramblings by many soldiers, many of whom fleeing towards the city. "All forces retreat to rally point bravo immediately!" ordered the commander with his megaphone from the city walls. As everyone ran towards the highway leading in to Station Square, Sonic noticed what was occurring. He then took his focus off of Knuckles and proceeded towards the city!

The GUN commander saw that Sonic was fast approaching. "Tanks," he barked, "fire at will at Sonic!" Twenty heavily-armoured tanks then trotted forwards, simultaneously unleashing a blistering volley of shells toward Sonic! All the soldiers were now at the checkpoint, behind the large wall obstructing access to the city. Shadow and Knuckles were still out there, but this did not deter the commander. "I want this perimeter secure," he ordered, "close the gate at once!" He was referring to an impenetrable steel gate, towering 30ft tall, to cover the only way into Station Square. "Sir," asked one of the soldiers, "what about Knuckles and-"

"We need to ensure that Dark Sonic does NOT get in here...whatever the cost. I want to remind you all that there are thousands of civilians evacuating as we speak, and it is our job to give them as much time as possible." And with that, the gargantuan gate was bolted shut…Sonic and the tanks were alone now…

Sonic rushed toward the tanks at a phenomenal speed, striking fear into the drivers. The twenty tanks broke off from line formation into a scattered formation, to have a better chance of hitting the evil being with some shrapnel. However, despite the immediate landscape being scarred by the shells' explosions, Sonic was still not being hit! He was getting closer and closer, then POW! He jumped into the air, and rolled into a ball towards the tank on the far left, slicing the thing in half! As the other tanks slowly turned their turrets to face him, Sonic left no mercy and was relentless in his assault. He kicked, punched, and rolled through all of the heavy armour of these supposed heavy units.

A minute later, he vanished, and reappeared directly in front of the gate! He once again performed his intimidating pose, much akin to when he annihilated the helpless town before, as he was floating off the ground with his arms out, the white eyes gazing sternly above him at the countless soldiers pointing their firearms at him from the city walls. Despite this method of intimidation from Sonic, the commander began to sit down, complacent and confident.

Subsequently, the general retrieved his megaphone from the floor and addressed Dark Sonic down below. "You cannot enter this city," he teased, "the entire city is now surrounded by reinforced concrete walls, and this gate is made from the strongest metallic compounds we have ever created. Now, turn around, and leave us in peace!" And with that, the commander stood up and paced left and right. A line of soldiers was in front of him, aiming over the wall with their assault rifles. "Keep to your posts," the commander ordered, "desertion is punishable by death. Do not lose focus, for Dark Super Sonic now travels three times faster than he used to."

Astoundingly, Sonic remained stationary. He was no longer off the ground, and he seemed to be staring at the gate. What could he possibly be thinking? This obscure behavior confounded the GUN commander. "I need to contact the president." He thought aloud. All of a sudden, the commander witnessed Sonic spring to life, as he powered his way through the seemingly-impenetrable gate! He gasped out of sheer surprise, and turned around to run towards his private helicopter for evacuation. However, when he did turn around, he encountered the purple aura of Dark Sonic directly in front of him! His close proximity sent a shiver down his spine as he secreted cold sweat on his forehead. "S…s….sonic…" he stuttered. Sonic immediately clutched his throat and raised the commander off the ground with one hand. Sonic brought his face closer to his own, and peered deeply into the frightened eyes of the commander. Then Sonic smiled slowly, further intimidating the commander in his grasp. The soldiers were all pointing their guns at Sonic, many of whom were shaking their firearms uncontrollably with fear, as the air up there had eerily chilled over.

Sonic stamped his right foot hard on the ground, which in turn had a ripple effect on the concrete everyone was standing on. The following cracks on the surface caused an entire segment of the concrete wall to crumble, sending tens of soldiers falling to their doom. The soldiers unaffected by the wall's collapse began to scream in fear, and then frantically rushed away to where the nearest stairs were situated. "Cowards!" the commander shouted as Dark Sonic was hovering over where the section of the wall used to be, the GUN leader's throat still clenched tightly. The commander was looking pale now. He bravely glanced down below him, confirming that the weird sensation in his feet was indeed real; he was floating 30ft off the ground!

"Sonic," he winced, "put me down…please." Sonic grinned at this remark as he further tightened his grip on his throat. Then, he let go! The commander was sent hurtling uncontrollably at an exponential rate towards the hard tarmac of the highway down below!

Whoosh! As the commander was about to go splat, he disappeared! Sonic jumped down to the floor to investigate, and as he did so he saw the commander safe and sound, at the start of the highway outside the city wall! Stood next to him was none other than Shadow the Hedgehog, who regained consciousness at precisely the right time to save the GUN commander. Sonic rolled into a ball and began to speedily spindash towards them. "Better look next time, Sonic." Shadow teased. He then grabbed the arm of the commander, who looked bemused and exhausted after his traumatic near-death experience, and shouted: "Chaos…CONTROL!" And with that, Sonic stopped rolling and stood still, for he no longer sensed the fear emanating from the human. Where were they? Well, Shadow and the commander had teleported even further back, now joined by a limping Knuckles the Echidna – he had also awoken courtesy of a firm tug from Shadow. Sonic pointed his index finger at the three, a semiotic to convey his anger and rage. Before he could proceed any further, Sonic glanced up, for he felt a dark shadow covering the vicinity. As he did, he was immediately squashed by a cumbersome titan! This mimicked what occurred at the very start of the adventure, when Sonic was attacked from the air by the E-1000; now an identical event had occurred to Sonic, ironically conducted by none other than Tails himself! The silver titan's yellow feet were planted firmly in the ground, its sheer weight crushing the notorious Dark Super Sonic below. "How do you like that?" Tails asked rhetorically as he was navigating the control panel.

Moments later, another titan landed on the ground, this time with pink joints and an extra driver on board; it was Amy and Cream! "Where's that horrible hedgehog?" Amy inquired to Tails through the titans' oral communication system. "He's right under me," Tails replied, "let's take a look." He then maneuvered the Titan away from the slight crevice he and Dark Sonic had conjured in the ground. As both titans' drivers glanced down to see the body of Dark Sonic, to their horror he was gone! "Damn," Tails remarked, "he must've zoomed away as soon as I let my foot off." Tails felt deflated; he had Sonic right there, but he ultimately made the wrong decision, he should've waited for reinforcements and a cage to arrive, he thought.

Amy and Cream turned their titan around and robotically walked to Knuckles, Shadow and the commander, who was utterly flabbergasted by what he saw before him. Tails immediately followed. They then opened their polymer semi-spheres which allowed them to climb out. Each of them firmly shook the GUN commander's hand. "Lucky you guys got here in time," he said, "I'd like to thank each and every one of you for your heroic actions to not only defend this city, but you saved my life Shadow! I cannot thank you enough!" Shadow tried his hardest to look uninterested in what he was saying, but he felt a warm sensation in his heart. Performing this good deed felt so rewarding, so meaningful, and so _right_, he now realized why Sonic perpetually battled against evil in the past. "No, commander," Shadow eventually replied slowly, "I'd like to thank _you_. You have given me a revelation; I can now see why Sonic put his life on the line to save others, and the world." He then turned his attention to Knuckles, while the others were utterly amazed at Shadow's sudden change. "Knuckles," Shadow continued, "I don't want to continue the deal we made. You said that you and your friends can give me all the chaos emeralds, well I can help too. And when I become Super Shadow I'll defeat Dark Super Sonic. But that won't be over, no. I also need to find out what Eggman's been up to…"

This confirmed to Tails that Eggman _was_ up to something. Eggman wanted Sonic to change for a reason, which was clearly to take over the world, but what if Eggman had a solution, an antidote, locked away in his secret laboratory? Tails approached Shadow and shook his hand. "I'm Tails." He introduced. Shadow nodded slowly, a genuine smile finally showing on his face. "Knuckles has told me all about you," Shadow replied, "and it would be an honour to work with such a brilliant mind."

The commander then performed a fake cough to get their attention. "I don't want to rain on your parade," he said, "but I'm not convinced Sonic has been defeated. He'll be back soon, I know he will. We need to reorganize the defenses and contact Mr. President." Tails nodded in concurrence. "Sure," Tails agreed, "we also need to give medical attention to Knuckles, and I need to brief Shadow on _everything_. Plus I need to contact my agents, as well as warn the president that he's walking right into a giant egg-shaped trap!"

"Agents?" Shadow asked.

"A trap?" The commander mimicked. Tails immediately climbed into his titan, and utilised its giant arm to signal the others to follow. They were heading all the way to the city centre, where the president was at. Amy, however, didn't get in her titan. "You'll be fine Cream," she called, "I only control the weapons anyway. Let Knuckles get in, the poor thing is so hurt he can barely walk." Amy then helped Knuckles get into the seat of Cream's titan, and waved goodbye, for now. Amy felt good, for she was helping others and her generosity was of use to the team.

Tails, Cream, Knuckles, Amy, Shadow and the commander all proceeded towards the president. They trotted through the destroyed city gate, and continued down the surprisingly-serene highway. Not a single moving car was in sight, but they did however encounter a few soldiers at a blockade. There were about thirty of them, each taking cover behind a few abandoned cars left here when the president issued the evacuation order on the TV and radio. "What's it like down there, commander?" one of the soldiers inquired as they walked past. "We won against Dark Sonic." The commander replied. The corporal seemed confused. "Then why aren't you all happy, and why are you going the other way?" The commander paused and sighed. "Listen," he replied, "we put up a good fight against Sonic and young Tails here managed to trap him. But somehow he escaped. We have scared him off! At least for now…but we have still proven that this monster is not as indestructible as we initially presumed! I want you to be in charge of rallying all troops in this territory, and I want you all to guard the city walls. You may want to bring a truck though, for many soldiers didn't make it…" The soldier then stood bolt upright and shouted: "Sir, yes, sir!" And with that, he, along with his comrades, marched towards the city gate, whilst Tails and the others continued moving deeper into the city. Time was not on their side, and they had to get to the president before sunset, as Rouge and Topaz would have made a deal with Eggman by then!

Meanwhile, at the back of the group, Amy couldn't help staring at the ultimate life-form. "So, you're Shadow the Hedgehog?" she asked him dreamily. "Of course I am," Shadow replied hastily, "and you are?" Amy told him her name, and that she had amnesia. As the afternoon was transitioning to sunset, Amy told an intent Shadow about the struggles she faces having no memory of her life before battling Dark Sonic, and how alienated and isolated she felt. Shadow, rather surprisingly, empathized with the pink hedgehog.

"I feel alone too," he confessed to Amy. Amy tingled with excitement deep inside; maybe they _were_ to be after all? Amy had always been infatuated by Sonic in the past, but what if she was barking up the wrong tree? Shadow looks and sounds virtually the same as Sonic, but this sudden change of personality from Shadow, along with his caring nature towards her, could potentially be the start of something special.

At the middle was the titan with Cream and Knuckles. Cream really missed her best friend Cheese, who was protecting her mother Vanilla, likely at a citizen refuge point underground. She hoped they were okay, and this got her worried slightly. Then she looked below her seat, to find a sleeping Knuckles in Amy's seat. Cream saw Knuckles try his hardest to fight Dark Sonic, and his courage and determination made Cream feel more optimistic for the future. She then remembered - as she was on the Tornado 2000 with Tails, Amy and the Chaotix - when she was observing the fight with Sonic at the city border, she couldn't help but notice the news helicopter prematurely fleeing from the scene. They were headed into the city, the same direction Cream was going! Why did they leave early? Did the president see Shadow? Will he still go through with Eggman's alliance? Cream then remembered that Tails never trusted Eggman from the start. "I'm glad mister Tails has sense," she said to herself, "without his judgment who knows what would happen to us all…"

They were nearly at their destination now. Tails and the commander were having a serious discussion about recent events. "So, you're saying Eggman caused Sonic to transform?" Tails nodded in reply to the commander's question. "Well, that mad man cannot be trusted! Of course, it all makes sense now! Eggman wants Sonic to scare us all, so we go to him and sell our freedom for his 'help'." Tails nodded stiffly. "Yeah," Tails replied, "but there's more. I think Eggman wants Sonic to destroy a lot of the land, and population, so that he can build his own empire on the ruins of our civilization." The commander looked alarmed. It was all so clear to him now. "We have to stop the deal!" The commander claimed. "Don't worry," Tails replied, "I have that sorted. Rouge and Topaz think they're the only ambassadors onboard the Egg carrier; I have a team of highly-skilled ambassadors myself. They should have docked on with the Tornado 2000 by now." Tails then reached for the comm. link on his dashboard, and began to call Espio…


	8. Chapter 8 - Negotiations

The long, featureless corridors on board the Egg Carrier felt to the Chaotix like an intricate labyrinth, with no definitive ending. The Chaotix had only just docked the Tornado 2000 with Dr. Eggman's flying fortress, and they were being escorted by several Egg Pawns to the bridge. "Are you sure we haven't been here before?" Vector remarked idly as he felt an overwhelming sensation of déjà vu. Espio made eye contact and nodded slowly to convey his concurrence. However, Charmy Bee – who flew on the Tornado 2000 from his mission while Dark Sonic appeared outside the city – was trying to keep his juvenile mind entertained. "This is _so_ boring," the bee cried "do you think Eggman will give us candy?" Vector shrugged his shoulders, for he didn't intend to deal with Charmy's idiocy during this important time. Espio, on the other hand, gave Charmy a stern look, reminding him of the severity of their ambassadorial mission here. The fate of this world is on the cards tonight on board the Egg Carrier!

"Espio, come in!" It was Tails the fox's voice, as he suddenly contacted Espio the chameleon via his comm. link on his wrist. "I read you loud and clear, Tails." Espio replied as the Chaotix and Egg Pawns were near the ship's bridge. "So, what's your status, over?" Espio paused at this question, for he wanted to pass on the right information to Tails. "We have boarded the Egg Carrier," he eventually replied with his composed, deep voice, "and I and the Chaotix are almost at the bridge. The Egg Pawns escorting us have told us that Rouge and Topaz are already with the Doctor, but negotiations have only just commenced between them. We will arrive in two minutes, and we know our priorities." Tails, who was still in his titan with the others, scratched his head for a second; did Espio really know what his limits were?" Tails asked the ninja about their strategy. "Well," Espio replied, "we shall firstly convince the GUN negotiators that selling their freedom is a bad idea. Next, we will offer Dr. Eggman one of your chaos emeralds for his service in assisting us all in battling Dark Sonic." Tails agreed, wished them the best of luck, and ended the transmission, thus leaving the Chaotix to undergo the biggest assignment of their lives on their own…

Tails, the GUN commander, Knuckles, Shadow, Amy, Cream and Cheese were almost at the President's place. Amy and the others had caught up to Tails and the commander at the front. The sun was now falling ever deeper into the glowing horizon from afar; nightfall was almost near, which scared poor Cream. "I'm getting a little frightened, mister Tails," she informed, "evil Sonic could be anywhere now." Tails sighed slightly. He could completely empathise with Cream, for he is scared of many things himself. He used to be timid and shy; he hardly made any friends when he was young because he was afraid of trusting anyone, due to the inexcusable acts of bullying towards him. He couldn't help that he had two tails, but the others used to constantly reject him. Thankfully, Tails found Sonic the Hedgehog, who taught him a lot. Sonic also taught Tails to be positive, and not to be afraid of anything. Nowadays, Tails has evolved into an excellent leader; he didn't like not having his best pal around anymore (at least as 'normal' Sonic), albeit the young fox thrived in this huge role. Nevertheless, he still shuddered at Cream's remark because a plethora of horrific memories from his childhood flooded back into his mind. Eventually, Tails answered: "it's okay Cream, I know how you feel! Don't worry, you have all of us here to protect you, and we are almost outside the gates." Cream then smiled faintly at this reply. Knuckles then gave her a thumbs-up, twitching slightly as he did so due to the agony he was still enduring. Shadow was helping him walk. Before they reached the gates, Tails remembered Charmy's mission was successful. He then flicked the switch on his comm. link to channel 2: the bug in the president's office. "We seriously need to bring Knuckles to a hospital," Shadow suggested. Tails was preoccupied in cleaning up the signal, but the GUN commander acknowledged the situation, and ultimately agreed with Shadow's idea. Tails and company ventured towards the nearby city hospital, whilst the Chaotix had begun negotiations with the diabolical Dr. Eggman, and Rouge & Topaz…

The meeting was being conducted in the back of the bridge. There was a rather large rectangular table centred, in which there were two parallel rows of seats. There was also one bigger seat on the end, in which Eggman would sit. Rouge and Topaz were sitting on one side, and the Chaotix on the other. Topaz had her laptop open and her eyes were glued to the screen, whereas Rouge was already bored and was admiring her white boots. Eggman was pacing back and forth on the other side of the room, twiddling his illustrious moustache as he did so. The doctor had both the anthropomorphic characters and the humans in the palm of his hand. What feats of evil could he accomplish with all this potential power?

The doctor then joined the others at the table, and pounded his fist hard on the table, hence immediately ceasing the slight murmurs from both parties. "Silence!" he bellowed, "Now, I assume you're both here for a mutual interest?" Eggman then began to grin broadly, revealing his full set of teeth to his guests. Topaz replied: "I don't know about these guys, but myself and Rouge are here on behalf of the President, and we would like your full cooperation in eradicating the threat of Dark Sonic once and for all!" Eggman's eyebrows rose. "Very good," he commended – his attention then turned to the green crocodile Vector, "so what are you three doing here?" Vector was suddenly intimidated by Eggman's menacing stare, causing the veteran detective to stutter and stammer before Espio interjected: "we are here, your excellence, on behalf of Miles 'Tails' Prower. Yes, we here also for your support in confronting Sonic, but we have intelligence that the President is incompetent at making a decision this big, so we are here to-"

"Now wait a minute!" Topaz interrupted Espio with a brittle tone, "you shouldn't even be here! The protection of our people is at stake, so _we _are the ones to make this deal!" Eggman was fascinated by the conflict unfolding, and was willing to remain an observer as tensions escalated. "What can you possibly offer," Topaz continued, "that we can't?" Vector then put on a fake hysterical act of laughter, and then replied in a patronising manner: "I'd like to say the same thing to you! It's our clients that risk their lives against all evil to protect you, and besides, we have not only lots of guys with special powers, but we will offer the Eggman a genuine chaos emerald to sweeten the deal." Vector sat back in his chair with a smug grin, subsequently followed by a high-five from Charmy. Eggman then opted to talk once more. "A chaos emerald, huh? Well, I have many uses for that, and I also know how to extract its power. As you all know, I plan on world domination usually. But, being the fair dictator I am, my interests lie in protecting my future citizens. So, I will commission the Egg fleet and the majority of my creations to fight Dark Sonic, along with Tails and his friends. Rouge, Topaz, you need to raise the stakes, or else your President will have no power whatsoever in the battle that awaits. You have three minutes to converse with your clients, while I go outside for a bit to think." Eggman then sprung up, and plodded outside the room, leaving the two parties with two completely contrasting emotions. Team Chaotix were ecstatic that their plan A was working like a treat, whereas Topaz' hands were shaking ferociously as she opened up her laptop. Rouge, on the other hand, stood up and scrutinized the dull character of this ship. "There's no way I'm going grey," she remarked as she creased at the sight of the mundane metal work plastering the room. Meanwhile, the president was discussing the recent occurrences with Topaz. This was eavesdropped by a mischievous Tails…

Tails and the others were in the hospital. Knuckles' head wounds and bruises were being treated by doctors in a separate area to the others, who were worriedly waiting in the guest room. "Do you think mister Knuckles will be okay?" Cream asked. Shadow smiled at her, and replied: "of course he will," he then put his hand on her shoulder and looked her in the eyes, "I've fought with Knuckles against Sonic, and he is the bravest fighter I've ever met. He's a tough nut, I'm sure he'll come out fine." Cream then gave Shadow a hug. "You're so kind now, mister Shadow, it's like you've replaced mister Sonic." Amy then burst out of her seat and pulled Shadow away quickly. Shadow looked a little uneasy at this. "What was that for?" He asked Amy. "Oh, err, well, I just wanted to say that, err, I believe in you! Yeah, I think you can take down Sonic all by yourself." Amy then beamed an uncomfortable smile at Shadow, who didn't reply and sat down in the corner. Cream then turned to Amy. "What was that for?" She inquired angrily. Amy pulled Cream aside, away from the others. "Stop hitting on Shadow," she whispered to Cream. Cream was disgusted. "Our friend Knuckles is really hurt right now, and all you can think about is relationships?" Cream's voice was gradually increasing in volume as her anger towards Amy surged. Amy signaled with her hand to calm down, but Cream saw red. "You were always like this with Sonic," she shouted, which immediately grasped the attention of Tails, Shadow, and the Commander, "all you think about is love. You are so jealous all the time, just because Sonic never loved you back you have to take it out on anyone that did show signs of love to him! Now you're doing it all again with Shadow! I don't want to be around you when you're paranoid like this." Amy was then boiling with anger. She eyed up Cream, with her fists clenched, and her eyes watering. "How dare you say that Sonic never loved me? I saw a memory, just one memory from before my amnesia. And you know what happened? SONIC SAVED ME! I can't believe my best friend would say stuff like that…" Tails then noticed what was happening and broke them up. "We're all a team," Tails stated "now we need to put our differences aside or else we'll have no chance against Sonic. Speaking of Sonic…" Tails then rushed towards the commander, whilst Shadow got up to sort out Cream and Amy.

"Commander, I think you should head off back to the President." Tails suggested seriously. The commander nodded. "Agreed," he replied, "I'd like to thank you and your friends for saving me earlier, and for scaring Sonic away." Tails then shook his head. "He's not been 'scared away'," he corrected, "but he'll be back soon, he may be back now actually." It was then the commander's turn to shake his head. "We have soldiers at every point in the city, particularly on the outskirts." Tails wasn't entirely convinced. "Well get back to the cabinet now and assess the situation from there – and don't forget to warn the president about Eggman!" The commander smiled a little, shook Tails' hand, and walked off, alone, towards the President.

Meanwhile, a doctor had come from treating Knuckles, and he said Knuckles will be discharged with immediate effect, but the Echidna is not in a good enough state to fight for a while. Chronologically, the door to the hospital wing opened once more, to show Knuckles the Echidna! This was met by a cheer from everyone as they rushed to hug him gently; even Shadow gave him a smile! Tails was then interrupted by Espio; it was urgent…

"Negotiations are going really well," Espio informed Tails. "I know," he replied, "Charmy was successful in his mission. Listen, you may have Eggman's attention, but the president has authorised Rouge and Topaz to bid the freedom of every citizen in Station Square!" Espio gasped loudly into the comm. link. "That's terrible," he remarked "how can we possibly match that? It's exactly what Eggman wants!" Tails had an idea; he looked around suspiciously for any witnesses…none were nearby. "Espio," Tails said quietly, "I want you to bid…the master emerald…" Espio gasped once more. "Wait, are you sure? You know Knuckles will-"

"-I don't care. Sacrifices have to be made in times like this. Sonic used to always risk his life to save others; Knuckles will understand when the time is right. Over and out…" The comm. link ceased once more. Tails was now sweating, he was fidgeting, and he was panicking. He has just allowed Dr. Eggman to be able to harness much more power than any of the chaos emeralds! He held his breath and hoped Eggman would use it for good…

"Greetings once more, my dear guests." Eggman reentered the room and plopped himself in his vast egg-shaped chair. The Chaotix were all giggling uncontrollably, whilst Rouge and Topaz both had complacent smiles. "Interesting…" Eggman remarked "it seems both parties have something good to offer. Alright, GUN; let's first see if you can better a chaos emerald from team Chaotix." Topaz took a deep breath and blinked her eyes slowly. "Dr. Eggman," she announced "we will authorize you to become the next president, as long as Dark Sonic is defeated. This means that you could, in theory, modify the laws to allow you to…stay in power for as long as you want…" Vector and Charmy were left in a stunned state of silence. Eggman, on the other hand, was beaming with sheer joy! "Ooh, I like the sound of that! Chaotix, if you can beat that offer, I'll take yours." Rouge rolled her eyes at this. "Oh, really? What's croc face, bumble boy and twinkle star going to have that's better than our offer?" Espio stood up, took a deep breath himself, and said slowly: "Dr. Eggman, in exchange for your full support with us to defeat Sonic, we will give you…the master emerald." Eggman jumped in the air! He then rubbed his hands and employed his iconic evil laugh.

"That is a…sufficient…exchange there my dear Espio. However, my Egg Fleet has the most powerful weapons on the planet. There is no doubt that Sonic will be defeated, for one reason we're in the air and he's on the ground! So, I would like to accept both offers so that we can…ahem…all work together." Topaz and Vector share an icy glance at each other momentarily. The room was dead silent; all that could be heard was the loathsome creaking of Eggman's chair. Eventually, however, Topaz bowed her head slightly and broke her hostile stance towards Vector: she knew her priority was to get Eggman on board no matter what. "Okay Eggman," Topaz concluded "ya got a deal. But I need you to sign this agreement here to solidify everything." The Eggman got up out of his chair, the light in the room reflecting over his circular glasses, his sinister smile beaming as bright as a lighthouse. "I'd be happy to oblige." Eggman replied as he rubbed his hands, grabbed the pen off Rouge, and wrote his signature on the contract. Vector then got up and shouted: "WAIT! The master emerald will give you tonnes of power, doctor. Could we have your two chaos emeralds to sweeten the deal for us?" Eggman paused. His evil genius did not anticipate such a bold request. However, with the master emerald and presidency secure, he didn't mind giving away two pesky chaos emeralds. "Fine," Eggman replied, "you can have my two chaos emeralds." All was agreed then: Eggman would now join forces to take down Dark Sonic, but in exchange or the master emerald and the presidential role!

Immediately after, Eggman ushered them all out of the room. "I'm about to send the Egg fleet towards Station Square right now," he explained, "so I suggest you leave me to do what I do best." And with that, the door to the bridge slammed shut. The Chaotix were pleased with their accomplishment. "We've got the deal!" Vector exclaimed. Suddenly, Rouge walked over to them: "well so do we, ol' croccy. Did Tails _really_ want to work with Eggman this badly?" Espio rolled his eyes and began to stroll down the corridor towards where the Tornado 2000 was located. The purple ninja was thereafter followed by Vector and Charmy, leaving Rouge and Topaz alone.

"Wait a second," Charmy said "Tails didn't want to work with Eggman, did he?" Espio ceased movement, for his eyes strained and his chin was being rubbed by his thumb and index finger. After a moment of deep thought, Espio concluded: "no, he didn't. Our mission was primarily to ensure the President didn't do anything stupid, but we must have got carried away in there because we let him get the master emerald AND to gain legal power over every citizen! What have we done?" Charmy gasped in shock, albeit a tad exaggerated. "Why don't we tell Tails," Charmy suggested, "he'll know what to do." Vector shrieked out in horror as he saw Espio reach for his comm. link! "No," he yelled, "maybe we can fix this without him knowing?" Espio wasn't convinced at all by Vector's drastic proposal. "No," he replied starkly, "the deal is done. If Eggman stays true to his word, he will get the master emerald and become president. Look, Vector, if we didn't get this deal done, Eggman would have been happy to sit back and watch the world burn at the hands of Dark Sonic. We have a powerful ally now, not to mention two chaos emeralds! Surely they must've found the other five by now?" Charmy shrugged his shoulders at this, whereas Vector sighed. "Fine," he reluctantly agreed, "we'll tell Tails. Charmy, you're with me: we'll go off in the Tornado and deliver the chaos emeralds to tells, while you stay here with the comm. link. Use your invisibility, Espio, to sneak around and find out why Eggman wants the master emerald so much. Alright team Chaotix, let's move out!" And with that, Espio used his special ability to blend in with the background, whilst Vector and Charmy sprinted off down the corridor to hop into Tails' plane.

Meanwhile, Topaz was met by her team of GUN agents, each of them covered in plain black attire and baring SMG weapons. "Mr. President needs you on the ground, ma'am," one of the agents stated, "Dark Sonic has been spotted. We'll escort you to the ship so we can take off." Subsequently, the humans all rushed off down the opposite corridor to where their plane was docked onto the Egg carrier, whereas Rouge the bat was nowhere to be seen…


	9. Chapter 9 - Evacuation

Nightfall struck fear throughout Station Square. Citizens were still being evacuated by the police force due to widespread congestion on the roads. Panic was in the air as hordes or fleeing citizens scrambled out of their cars and rushed for dear life towards a subway entrance. The president and his cabinet were overseeing the operation in the underground bunker; a secret location situated directly 2 miles beneath the President's place. In addition to this, Eggman has just launched his Egg fleet towards the inner city, the Chaotix are searching for Tails and the others, Rouge and Espio are near Eggman, yet Dark Sonic is still nowhere to be seen…

"If the deal is done, why are we still waiting here?" remarked an impatient Knuckles, as he paced towards the hospital door, aching to venture into the urban night and track down Dark Sonic.

"We should go," Cream added, "I don't feel safe round here."

Amy nodded in agreement with Cream; she had forgiven the young rabbit after the heated argument earlier. Tails took a step back and analysed the situation in his intelligent mind. The hospital was almost directly in the centre of the city - would this be unsafe though? Tails thought long and hard about the nature of Dark Sonic's actions; does he operate by instinct now?

"We have got to get out of here," Tails immediately blurted out. This made Knuckles smile and dust his gloves.

"Alright pal," Knuckles replied, "now it's time to see if that menace can bleed when I smash his head into the ground!"

Shadow approached Knuckles and put his hand on his shoulder. "Let's find out…together."

Knuckles and Shadow were about to walk out of the front door, until Tails hastily called their names. "We need to split up," the fox ordered, "Knuckles and Shadow, you two make sure the citizens evacuate underground, and keep on the lookout for Dark Sonic. Me and the others have something important to tell the President. Oh, and you can use our mechs if you wish!"

Knuckles scoffed. "I don't need a titan,"he boldly claimed, "I'm Knuckles!"

Shadow frowned at him. "You are still injured," the ultimate life-form pointed out, "you need to use the titan. It will help us due to all the gadgets Tails has added, and while I don't want to be stuck in one of those things I'll use the other one. Let's go Knuckles!"

Subsequently, Knuckles and Shadow rushed out of the hospital doors and climbed into the two titans in the parking lot.

Amy despairingly reached an arm out to where Shadow once stood; the excruciating feeling of isolation and self-loathing suddenly overwhelmed the pink hedgehog. She felt as though her and Shadow connected – they were meant to be. Yet, she couldn't help but have a horrible feeling that he would never see her again; she didn't know why, maybe it's because the same instance occurred with Sonic before? She shuddered at the thought of never seeing Shadow again, and tears began pouring out of her bright green eyes. Cheese noticed this and pointed it out to Cream, whilst Tails was trying to communicate with Espio.

Cream approached a weeping Amy Rose and gave her a huge hug, which immediately made Amy feel a lot better. "Why does Shadow have to go without me," she asked rhetorically, "it's just like Sonic all over again."

She then gently pushed herself away from Cream and turned her back to her, with her head in her hands. Cream looked at her best friend becoming emotionally engulfed by the repercussions of her amnesia. "It's not like that," Cream reassured, "Sonic isn't himself right now – you know this. Mister Sonic will become good again, and he'll remember who you are, and-"  
"I don't care about Sonic," Amy corrected bluntly, "I care about Shadow. But what if something similar happens to Shadow or if I get amnesia again?"

Cream once again gave Amy a hug, and promised that everything will be alright.

Meanwhile, Tails was attempting in vain to establish a communication with Espio, who was on board the Egg Carrier with Rouge hiding somewhere else. What Tails didn't know, is how the deal finished, that Vector and Charmy are flying the tornado looking for him right now, and that Espio turned off his comm. link!

"It's no use," Tails conceded as he thought it was the right time for him and the girls to seek the President.

Suddenly, as they were about to leave the hospital, the lights immediately went out. Cream jumped back out of sheer surprise, whilst Cheese began to shriek aloud. "What was that?" Tails asked as he nervously looked around the lobby.

"I have no idea," Amy replied, "but whatever caused this can't be a good thing."

The four characters then clustered together as the double doors leading to the rest of the hospital were immediately flung open, to reveal a stampede of petrified patients and staff alike.

"Hey you," one person called out to Tails, "can you help us? Do you know who done this?"

Tails signaled with his hand for everyone to calm down. When the atmosphere was slightly more relaxed, he replied to the man: "I don't know why this power cut has happened, but we should all remain calm. I think it's because the military needs more power than usual, which is why the power grid overloaded."

This did not go down well with the citizens.

"So we're under attack right now?" one of them asked anxiously.

"Probably not," Tails replied, "but more units are deployed right now which might be why the power was so stretched, and short-circuited. Anyway, we need to make sure you're all safe, so can everyone calmly follow me, Amy, Cream & Cheese while we escort you to a checkpoint in the nearby subway tunnel?"

Tails turned his back on everyone and walked towards the glass automatic doors, until a different person, a female voice, called out: "and who are you, young man?"

Tails smiled a little. He turned back round, took a deep breath, and proudly proclaimed: "I am Miles 'Tails' Prower!"

This was met by a slight round of applause as the party eventually protruded outside the city hospital towards the vantage point two streets away.

It was easier said than done…

* * *

"It appears that everyone is safe." Knuckles said to Shadow via the mechs' communication devices.

"I don't think so," Shadow disagreed, "just because most people have evacuated doesn't meet Dark Sonic is not around here somewhere."

Knuckles paused. Dark Sonic's lack of presence was definitely peculiar. Surely a phenomenon with such power and rage would be attacking from everywhere by now? This conundrum befuddled Knuckles as both heroes were traveling in Tails' mechs around the city. They were looking for either any stragglers yet to be evacuated, or to encounter Dark Super Sonic himself. After a few minutes of exploration, they encountered a SWAT team on the ground. Shadow immediately burst out of his mech and zoomed towards them. Knuckles, on the other hand, was also about to climb out, but ultimately refrained from doing so, due to the multiple injuries he had inflicted. He trudged over in his mech while Shadow was talking to the SWAT team.

"Why are you here?" Shadow asked impatiently. The SWAT team all jumped in shock as they didn't expect to hear a voice behind them. They each turned around, to set their eyes upon the black hedgehog.

"Hey, it's you!" one man cried.

"You're that guy who battled Dark Sonic earlier, aren't you?" another inquired.

Shadow nodded blissfully. "Yes," he replied, "I am the one who kept Sonic at bay, along with my friend Knuckles…"

Shadow then pointed behind him, revealing Knuckles the Echidna to the SWAT team.

"We could use your help," the commanding SWAT trooper said "we have received intel that some young children and their parents have taken refuge in a nearby school. They are there because they panicked when Dark Sonic first attacked in the afternoon. We need to get them out of there fast, are you in?"

Shadow smiled slightly. "I'm one step ahead of you."

As quick as a flash, the ultimate life form zoomed past the SWATS with a tremendous whoosh of wind, making his way towards the nearby school.

"What a show-off…" Knuckles remarked as his vehicle hindered his speed.

The SWAT team all moved out as well, completely neglecting Knuckles in his sluggish mech. The echidna didn't want to spend an eternity chasing after them, so he took a deep breath and looked around the area he was in. There were no lights at all emanating from any of the buildings on the desolate high street. Knuckles presumed it was because everyone around here evacuated before nightfall, though the emptiness engulfing this once-thriving location seemed rather peculiar...

Meanwhile, Shadow had arrived at the elementary school. The doors were boarded up with various desks and chairs, albeit they would not suffice in obstructing Shadow's entry.

"This is Shadow the Hedgehog," he announced, "I want you all to stand back."

Shadow subsequently rolled into a ball and fiercely spindashed directly into the double doors! A loud bang was quickly followed by a maelstrom of flying furniture shrouded by a dense cloud of dust.

As Shadow pushed himself up off the checkered floor, he witnessed numerous screams, shrieks, and shouts from the women and children gazing in horror at the intruding hedgehog.

"It's Dark Sonic!" one child shrieked in sheer terror.

"We're all gonna die!" another child admitted.

The parents grabbed their children close to them, and backed up down the long, dark, corridor. Shadow folded his arms. This wasn't the first time he was confused with someone else.

"Don't worry, I'm not Dark Sonic." Shadow pleaded.

The parents' backtracking came to an abrupt halt. Surely Dark Sonic would've mercilessly slaughtered them by now, yet they were all still alive with all limbs intact?

One young girl pushed herself away from her mother's grasp, and bravely marched towards Shadow! Her mother worriedly called her back, but the child merely smiled as she gazed deeply into Shadow's eyes. Shadow smiled back: why wasn't this girl afraid of him?

"I know who you are," she claimed triumphantly "you're the good hedgehog, aren't you? I saw you on the news earlier when you battled Dark Sonic with the red guy. You're so brave!"

The girl then ran towards Shadow, all her fear and worries eradicated, as she flung her arms at him and gave the unsuspecting hero a comforting hug. This startled all the parents and children behind her, and even Shadow himself, but she didn't care – she had finally found her hero, her savior, from the sinister wrath of Dark Sonic.

"Who are you?" Shadow asked curiously.

"I am Anna," she replied "and you're my hero!"

Shadow looked bemused. He asked her where they met before, but it turned out they actually didn't meet at all!

"I admire how brave you are," she confessed "and I wished I could finally say thank you to you, and now I have."

Anna's mother then conjured the courage to walk over to Shadow. She hugged her daughter, and stroked her blonde hair. One by one, each parent and child grew less weary of Shadow, and each gave Shadow a high-five, handshake, or hug as a way of thanking him for his valiance in the face of danger.

The SWAT team then moved in. The squad guarded the doors, pointing their weapons into the abandoned streets of Station Square, while the commander talked to the citizens.

"I see you've met our friend Shadow," he began "but you are not out the water yet, I'm afraid. The president ordered a mandatory evacuation order earlier today, and it seems that you have defied orders..."

"It's not like that," one of the parents corrected "we are really scared. We were all picking up our children from school when we saw Dark Sonic kill all of those soldiers at the wall, so we boarded ourselves in and hoped for the best."

"I understand _why_ you've done this," the captain empathized "but the president clearly told you all not to 'act hero and stay on the ground'. What's done is done though, and you must all follow me so that Shadow and my team can take you to a safer place."

Everyone slowly began to walk out of the front doors in a single file manner, apart from one person: Anna's mother…

"C'mon," Shadow ordered "if you stay here you will die."

Anna's mother began to shake and shiver, as tears began to trickle down her cheeks. She curled herself into a ball down by the wall.

"I…I'm scared," she wept "I've spent my entire life in this neighbourhood but now it's all changing so fast."

Anna approached her mother and held her hands.

"It will be okay," she assured "Shadow is here to protect us from Sonic but if we stay here we won't be safe."

Anna's mother was still not convinced: "he will find us wherever we go."

Shadow stepped in. "Listen," he said brashly "you are in a big city; Dark Sonic goes by instinct. He can sense fear in people, and he can sense it more so in such a densely-populated place like this. If you flee from here, there is less chance Sonic will find you. Leave it to me to face Sonic, your daughter needs you."

Anna's mother ceased sobbing. She looked up and saw Shadow's smile, along with his outstretched arm. She grabbed it, and Shadow pulled her up. Anna then hugged them both simultaneously.

"Let's move out, people!" the SWAT commander ordered. Everyone then moved off the school grounds, and into the street.

Knuckles regrouped with everyone in his mech. He reminded Shadow that he'd left his mech down the street, though Shadow didn't care.

"Did you notice all the lights are out?" Knuckles questioned, "Is it because everyone left before nightfall, or is it something more than that?"

Shadow was walking alongside Knuckles' mech at the back of the group. "I've noticed too," Shadow concurred, "but we've just retrieved these people from a school and they would've turned the lights on if they could be turned on. I think that Dr. Eggman is behind this."

Knuckles chuckled at this remark. "Dr. Eggman is our ally now, why would he turn off the power grid if he's our friend?"

Shadow immediately stopped walking and scowled at Knuckles. "Dr. Eggman is NOT to be trusted! He is obsessed about world domination and always has been; why do you think he got me to search for chaos emeralds in the mountains? It's clear that Dark Sonic is a diversion for his own evil plans to commence. But what could they be?"

"Whatever…" Knuckles replied. He thought Shadow was still being paranoid like he always is.

There was an opening to the sewers down the road. Knuckles, Shadow and the SWATS made their way to the opening, whilst Tails and the others were headed for a subway entrance nearby…

"Isn't that one of your creations, mister Tails?"

Cream had spotted one of Tails' mechs, isolated and abandoned, in the middle of the road. Tails flew over to it, and confirmed to the others that Shadow was in here. Amy grew concerned at this news.

"Where is Shadow?" Amy asked worriedly, "Is he okay?"

"I don't know," Tails replied honestly "the on-board camera shows us that Shadow jumped out, but we don't know why."

Cheese pointed out to Cream that the citizens were still with them.

"We've got to keep moving." Cream remarked. Tails overheard her remark to Cheese and nodded to them.

"Cream, Cheese, you two climb in to the mech and bring these citizens to the subway entrance just round that corner. Some patients can't move very fast so be aware of that. Amy, we'll go and look for Shadow. Good luck everyone!"

Cream and Cheese waved goodbye – hopefully not for the last time – to Tails and Amy as they hopped into the mech and lead the citizens towards the evacuation point.

A few minutes later, as Tails and Amy were searching the vicinity for Shadow's whereabouts, they encountered an eerie sensation. There was a gush of wind that only lasted momentarily, followed by a significant drop in temperature. The city streets began to get a little foggy, and huge grey clouds began to block some of the moon's light. Tails remembered flying the tornado only a few days ago; the warm summer's sun, his best friend Sonic, the carefree atmosphere…all of it was but a distant memory to him now…

"Are you feeling what I'm feeling?" Amy asked nervously.

"I sure am," Tails replied "but what does all this mean?"

Amy pondered for a moment. "It's got to be Dark Sonic." she concluded.

Tails gasped as everything became clear to him now. "You're right," he said "this is why Cream was scared earlier in the hospital. There's something about the night that gives Dark Sonic even more power. The cool air, the fog, the moon's light being blocked, it all makes sense! Dark Sonic didn't want to attack in the afternoon because he wasn't at full strength. It's the same reason why he didn't kill us in the meadow before; he's getting stronger and stronger!"

"We've got to find Shadow and Knuckles!" Amy cried.

Tails spun his tails so that he was hovering off the ground, and held Amy close. Together they ascended into the air, scouting the entire area for any sign of their friends. It was gradually becoming colder and colder up here, so Tails landed on a nearby rooftop.

"I knew Shadow wouldn't see me again…" Amy remarked idly. Tails frowned.

"That's nonsense," Tails answered "Shadow is strong and smart; there must be a logical reason why he climbed out of the mech."

"Like what? Like running away from me? What is it about me that makes everyone dislike me? If I could remember what happened before, maybe I'll know…"

Tails sighed. "There's nothing wrong with you," Tails comforted "Sonic was always your friend along with everyone else. We're all here for you, and I promise you I'll find a way to get your memory back!" Amy smiled a little at this.

"You're the best, Tails."

Suddenly, Tails' answer to the weird events arrived. Dotted across the night sky were tens, if not hundreds, of GUN helicopters, all making their way to one location.

"They must've found Dark Sonic!" Amy exclaimed.

"Right," Tails agreed "hold on!"

Tails and Amy followed the helicopters' search lights as their assumptions would soon be answered…

* * *

Shadow was now at the front of the group, Knuckles remained at the back, and the SWATS covered the sides – each of them cautiously aiming at every shadow they saw. They were nearly there now; the sewer entrance was in sight. It was about 50ft away, in the corner of the road.

Shadow and the others then felt what Tails and Amy felt only a moment ago; they felt a gust of wind, the chilly air, and the lack of light. However, the gush of wind had a source: Shadow and the others were shocked to see, standing in the middle of their path, Dark Super Sonic! The dark aura surrounding him was even larger than before, striking fear into the citizens. Then, Sonic once again raised his arm and pointed his index finger at Shadow, as though he was marked for death. Shadow merely rolled his eyes. He wasn't afraid of Sonic before, and he certainly wasn't now.

"Everybody wait here," Shadow ordered "I'll distract Sonic and take him away from you."

In a black and red blur, Shadow whooshed down the road to encounter Sonic, while the SWAT team and Knuckles hurriedly escorted the citizens towards the sewer. Dark Sonic had his fists ready to smash Shadow's head like a baseball, but Shadow merely jumped right over him! He was nearing the sound barrier now, and slid to a halt further down the road. He then turned around and smiled patronizingly at Sonic, and mimicked him by pointing his index finger at the evil monster. Dark Sonic was furious as he vented his rage by backhanding a parked car through an entire skyscraper, ultimately creating a vast hole going through it. Shadow saw this and gulped in terror; Sonic really was stronger!

Dark Sonic spun into a ball and hurtled himself down the street towards Shadow. Before Sonic could hit, Shadow jumped up and used his homing attack ability to kick down at Sonic as he passed beneath him. This caused a small crater in the ground, yet Sonic sprung out in an instant, the dust and debris tricking onto the floor. Then it was Sonic's turn to deal some damage, as he kicked and punched Shadow in the chest multiple times, finishing up with a body slam on the top of a white van. Shadow cried out in agony, but managed to get himself up and spin-kick Dark Sonic while his back was turned, sending the demonic beast flying into another building, smashing the glass windows and landing with a thud inside a diner. Shadow wasn't inclined to sit back and waste the opportunity; while Sonic was down, Shadow roared and sprinted into the diner himself, beginning a bloody brawl inside the shop.

The citizens were climbing down into the sewer now. The SWAT commander gave directions as to where to go, and left them on their own. Knuckles said goodbye to Anna, who put her hand on the glass separating her from Knuckles (inside the mech) and waved a tearful farewell to the brave Echidna. Knuckles smiled awkwardly; he wasn't used to being admired so much. He would miss Anna and he hoped she would make it out safely. Anna was the last to climb down, and Knuckles utilised the strength of his mech to shut the gigantic metal cylinder on the entrance. Knuckles then turned to Shadow and Sonic, who were back out on the streets.

Shadow had put up a good fight so far, but Sonic was now getting the better of him. Three consecutive body slams into cars had depleted Shadow's energy, and had even inflicted multiple cuts on the ultimate life form, yet he still wanted to fight. Knuckles caught up with them and blasted whatever firepower his mech had at Sonic. There were homing missiles, flamethrowers, chain-guns, and even an anti-tank rocket. Shadow managed to gambol out of the line of fire, but Sonic merely held up his arm, suspending everything Knuckles had fired in midair! Some of the dark aura surrounding Sonic oozed its way onto the missiles, fire, and bullets, darkening them.

"Oh, crap!" Knuckles remarked as he immediately began to eject himself from the mech. He didn't want to wait around and see what Sonic would do with all that firepower, but one things's for sure: that mech was a sitting duck! Knuckles was standing on top of the mech now, observing the obscure behavior of Dark Super Sonic. Moments later, the street lit up; an array of helicopters were now on the scene, shining their bright searchlights on Sonic and Knuckles.

"Jump!" shouted Shadow from afar, as Knuckles quickly used his dreadlocks to glide into an open window of a shopping mall to his left. Seconds later, all the weapons Knuckles once fired at Sonic were flung at the mech, causing a colossal explosion! It wasn't bright though, instead the mech just burst, emitting a puff of dark smoke as particles of titanium were thrust in all directions.

Knuckles was becoming enraged now.

"You are no match for me!" he snorted as he glided out of the window and ran towards Sonic! Shadow saw the calamity that was about to occur to the wounded echidna, and distracted Sonic by grabbing a traffic light and then swung it at the back of his neck! Sonic was down on the floor once more, but this time he was trapped, for a net was shot out of one of the helicopters. Then, all of the fifty-or-so helicopters began to fire at will towards where Dark Sonic lay, blasting a plethora of lethal experimental weapons at the rogue hedgehog. At the same time, various troopers began parachuting to the ground or rappelled down via rope. Hundreds of advanced troopers were on the scene, which was being broadcast by a news helicopter in the sky. Only a few places still had power, such as the president's bunker, so only those citizens with mobile phones could see what was occurring (like Anna).

Fire missiles, homing missiles, rockets, bullets, and more were fired at Sonic, who had broken out of the net. After minutes of constant bombardment, everyone ceased firing. They were now joined by one of Eggman's small ships. It was a transport, and landed on the ground to deploy about thirty Egg pawns. They all pointed their spears at Sonic as they marched forward, reminiscent of a Roman legion. The GUN, on the other hand, were actually celebrating. Various high-fives and 'u-rahs' were seen from all angles, which was inevitably picked up by the news crew.

"_And it appears that our brave boys have defeated Dark Sonic once and for all! This battle that has miraculously occurred within the city walls has ended early on, with us being the worthy victors. Look there! It appears that Shadow and Knuckles, who fought Dark Sonic earlier on, were here as well. We are now showing footage of Dr. Eggman's soldiers moving in to confirm the kill. In case you didn't know, viewers, the President has managed to form an alliance with the dashing doctor, at the expense of the master emerald on Angel Island. But back to the situation at hand, it appears that - wait! What was that?" _

The reporter was left speechless as every single one of the Egg pawns were literally turned into scrap metal, as nuts and bolts were cascading in every direction! Amid the turmoil rose the sinister figure of Dark Sonic once again, seemingly unscathed from the shelling prior to this! Shadow regrouped with Knuckles, who was itching to charge at him.

"No, Knuckles, you're not ready." Shadow informed as he was catching his breath.

"C'mon, I want a piece of that monster!"

"No, let Eggman and the humans take care of him, we've done our part for this battle." Shadow turned around, but Knuckles was not going to walk away from this. As Knuckles dusted his gloves ready for a fight, Sonic held his head up. The SWATS on the ground were all trembling with trepidation; they didn't want to die like their comrades earlier. Sonic could sense this sudden lack of confidence from the humans, and as quick as a flash he dashed towards the blockade! He punched, kicked, kneed, strangled, headbutted, and slammed soldier after soldier to a bloody pulp! Shadow couldn't take it any longer.

"Alright Knuckles," he declared "let's catch ourselves a hedgehog!"

Both Knuckles and Shadow shouted at Dark Sonic, grasping his attention. The two heroes worked efficiently as a team; Shadow used his speed to lure Sonic somewhere, then Knuckles would smash him with all his might in the face. Sonic was learning, though, and when Knuckles was about to ambush him for the fourth time, Sonic turned around before he could do so. Dark Sonic then clutched Knuckles' throat with both hands, constraining his supply of oxygen.

"Oh no you don't!" Shadow barked as he went to clothesline Sonic with all his might, but Sonic had anticipated this as well! As Shadow approached, Sonic let go of one hand from Knuckles' neck, and began to choke Shadow as well! Both heroes were in a dire situation: the SWATS were either in smithereens or had fled out of cowardice, the helicopters had retreated to the airfield a few miles away, and Sonic was truly angry right now! What could they possibly do?

"Amy!" Tails shrieked in horror as the coldness had made his fingers numb; Amy had lost her grip and was falling hundreds of feet below! What had Tails done? He suddenly regretted bringing Amy with him, she should've went with Cream underground, now he was responsible for the death of his dear friend...or was he?

Amy could barely see a thing as the immense wind in the air had almost blinded her vision. She felt a weird sensation of vertigo as her speed was increasing. She couldn't feel a thing due to numbness from the cold, though adrenaline had overwhelmed her.

"I'm not going to die!" she yelled as she grabbed her Piko Piko hammer and aimed it below her. Hopefully the hammer would break her fall nicely. As she was nearing the surface, she saw that Sonic had both her friends in a stranglehold.

"You'll pay for hurting my Shadow," she screamed as she adjusted her flight so that the Piko-Piko would land on Dark Sonic's head! Shadow looked up as he heard a whooshing sound, and saw a pink blur falling directly above them. Knuckles noticed too.

"Hey white eyes," Knuckles jeered "look above!"

Sonic glanced up into the sky and was alarmed to see a hazy pink blur hurtling at an immense speed towards him! He immediately let go of Knuckles and Shadow and pointed his fists up above his head. What was going to happen next?

Shadow had an idea. He and Knuckles managed to tickle Sonic's neck. Though Sonic couldn't feel the sensation of being tickled, he could still feel under threat. He spun round to see Knuckles and Shadow beaming broad smiles. A split second later, Sonic was 40ft into the ground, in a tomb the shape of a hammer...Amy had landed with a bang!

Tails then landed a few seconds after.

"What have I done?" Tails asked himself aloud, his head buried in his hands.

"Don't worry," Knuckles comforted "Amy managed to get her hammer out and smash Sonic to the other side of the world it seems!"

Tails didn't like his playful tone. The guilty fox spun his tails once more and searched the hole in the ground for Amy Rose. It turns out that Amy _was_ alive! A great sense of relief swept Tails, who squeezed Amy with what was meant to be a hug.

"I'm just so happy you're alive," Tails confessed as he helped fly Amy back to the surface.

"It's okay," Amy replied "it wasn't your fault what happened in the sky."

Now that the characters were all together, they worked as a team to fill the hole up with various rubble and debris. Now Sonic was cocooned inside a makeshift tomb deep into the ground. They knew it wouldn't contain a being with such power, though they all felt a warm feeling inside as they had foiled Dark Sonic's reign of terror once again. Knuckles and Shadow were both wounded, Amy was a little light-headed from her near-death experience, and Tails was still breathing heavily after his gargantuan feelings of guilt. Despite this, they all felt as though they had accomplished something the world deemed impossible: they had beaten Dark Sonic!

It wasn't all smiles and cheers though...

"Just look at all these bodies," Shadow pointed out as they all took a moment to stare into the graveyard of various limbs of soldiers who once stood here. It was a very weird feeling for each of our heroes at this point; they had accomplished a great victory almost on their own, yet victory clearly paid a heavy price. A terrible thought suddenly crossed Tails' mind: how much worse will the devastation get once Sonic strikes again? He shuddered at this, and hoped no more blood would be spilled in the future.

"You four, get on board!"

One helicopter remained, and it deployed a rope ladder for Tails, Amy, Shadow, and Knuckles to climb up with.

Once they were all seated, they were pleased to meet the GUN commander once more!

"The president wants to see you right away." he explained to the four heroes as the helicopter made its way towards the haven of the president's bunker...


End file.
